Multi-contrast laser endoscopy for in vivo gastrointestinal imaging

Area of Science:

• Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
• Medical Imaging
• Optical Engineering

Background:

• White light endoscopy is the standard for gastrointestinal disease detection, relying on subtle visual cues.
• Current methods often miss subtle abnormalities due to low contrast, impacting diagnostic accuracy.
• There is a need for advanced imaging techniques to enhance visualization of gastrointestinal pathologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate Multi-contrast Laser Endoscopy (MLE) as an advanced tool for gastrointestinal imaging.
• To demonstrate MLE's capability in enhancing tissue contrast for improved disease detection.
• To assess MLE's performance in vivo during clinical colonoscopies.

Main Methods:

• Developed a Multi-contrast Laser Endoscopy (MLE) platform with tunable spectral, coherent, and directional illumination.
• Integrated multispectral diffuse reflectance for chromophore contrast, laser speckle contrast imaging for blood flow, and photometric stereo for topography.
• Validated MLE using benchtop models and conducted in vivo testing during clinical colonoscopies on 31 polyps.

Main Results:

• MLE demonstrated an approximate three-fold improvement in contrast and a five-fold improvement in color difference compared to white light and narrow band imaging.
• The platform successfully enhanced tissue chromophore contrast, quantified blood flow, and characterized mucosal topography.
• In vivo results showed significant contrast enhancement in polyps visualized during colonoscopies.

Conclusions:

• MLE offers a powerful, integrated approach to visualize multiple complementary tissue contrasts in the gastrointestinal tract.
• The technology shows significant promise in improving the detection of subtle abnormalities, potentially leading to earlier diagnosis.
• MLE seamlessly integrates into clinical workflows, representing a valuable advancement for gastrointestinal imaging and disease investigation.