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Collimating micro-lens fiber array for noncontact near-infrared diffuse correlation tomography
Shijie Feng1, Zhiguo Gui1, Xiaojuan Zhang1
1Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Biomedical Imaging and Big Data, North University of China, No. 3 Xueyuan Road, Taiyuan 030051, China.
Biomedical Optics Express
|April 2, 2021
Summary
A novel noncontact optical probe for diffuse correlation tomography (DCT) enables faster, more robust imaging of tissue blood flow. This technology, termed FA-nc-DCT, improves upon existing methods for applications like breast cancer detection.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Optics
- Medical Imaging
- Photonics
Background:
- Near-infrared diffuse correlation spectroscopy/tomography (DCS/DCT) is a noninvasive technique for measuring tissue blood flow.
- Current DCT systems face limitations in field of view and measurement time due to camera-based fiber arrays or scanning probes.
- Accurate collection of light temporal autocorrelation curves (g2(τ)) is crucial for blood flow image reconstruction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and validate a noncontact optical probe for DCT (FA-nc-DCT) to overcome limitations of existing systems.
- To improve the speed, stability, and field of view for DCT blood flow imaging.
- To enable robust imaging of blood flow in large human tissues and various disease states.
Main Methods:
- Development of a noncontact optical probe using a collimating micro-lens fiber array integrated into a square base.
- Implementation of an 8x8 optical switch to share laser and detector hardware, eliminating spatial scanning.
- Validation using speed-varied phantom experiments and human cuff occlusion tests.
Main Results:
- The FA-nc-DCT system precisely collected g2(τ) curves, yielding expected blood flow index (BFI) values in experiments.
- Accurate reconstruction of flow anomalies in phantoms and ischemic muscle in human subjects was achieved.
- The system demonstrated potential for fast and robust imaging, validated with a novel Nth-order linear imaging algorithm.
Conclusions:
- The FA-nc-DCT system offers a significant advancement for noninvasive tissue blood flow imaging.
- This technology overcomes previous limitations, enabling faster and more stable DCT measurements.
- FA-nc-DCT shows great potential for clinical applications, including the imaging of human breast cancers and other diseases.
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