A structured light laser probe for gastrointestinal polyp size measurement: a preliminary comparative study

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Medical Devices
• Endoscopy Technology

Background:

• Polyp size measurement is crucial in gastrointestinal endoscopy.
• Visual inspection is standard but suffers from lack of depth perception and objective references, leading to errors.
• Structured light technology offers a potential solution for accurate polyp measurement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a proof-of-concept polyp measurement device using structured light technology.
• To compare the accuracy, time, user confidence, and satisfaction of the structured light probe against visual inspection and traditional tools.

Main Methods:

• A structured light probe was developed for polyp size measurement.
• 392 independent polyp measurements were conducted in ex vivo porcine stomachs.
• Evaluated methods included visual inspection, biopsy forceps, ruled snare, and the structured light probe.

Main Results:

• The structured light probe reduced median measurement error from 2.2 mm (visual) to 1.5 mm.
• Probe accuracy was statistically similar to forceps and ruled snares.
• User satisfaction was highest with the probe (7.92) and forceps (7.82), comparable to visual assessment (7.01), but superior to snare use (4.42).
• The probe's operation time (54.75s) was slower than visual assessment (20.7s) but comparable to snare use (68.5s), with preliminary design limitations noted.

Conclusions:

• Tool-based assessment, particularly the structured light probe, significantly improves polyp size measurement accuracy over visual inspection.
• The proposed technology achieves accuracy comparable to reference tools without occluding the endoscope channel.
• Further design improvements, such as integrating the probe into the scope tip, are needed to reduce operating time.