Multi-spectral Confocal Microendoscope for in-vivo Imaging
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Real-time in-vivo microscopic visualization of tissues (optical biopsy) has the potential to replace tissue extraction biopsy. At the very least, this capability could improve the selection of tissue for biopsy and increase the accuracy of diagnosis. A slit-scanning multi-spectral confocal microendoscope (MCME) was built to demonstrate the technique. The MCME employs a flexible fiber-optic catheter coupled to a custom built slit-scan confocal microscope fitted with a custom built imaging spectrometer. The catheter consists of a fiber-optic imaging bundle linked to a miniature objective and focus assembly. The 3mm diameter catheter may be used independently or routed though the instrument channel of a commercial endoscope. The MCME is designed to examine cellular structures during optical biopsy and to exploit the diagnostic information contained within the spectral domain. The primary applications for the system include diagnosis of disease in the gastro-intestinal tract and female reproductive system. Recent data from the grayscale-imaging mode are presented. Preliminary multi-spectral results from phantoms, cell cultures, and excised human tissue are presented to demonstrate the potential of in-vivo multi-spectral imaging.