The Hyperspectral Imaging Endoscope: A new tool for in vivo cancer detection

摘要

We developed a new endoscope that allows for non-contact, rapid (sub-second) acquisition of polarized spectral images of tissue in vivo. The intent was to enable exploration of a variety of optical contrast mechanisms (such as light absorption, reflectance, scattering, and fluorescence) in a search for new methods of early cancer detection in a clinical setting. Our first new implementation for cancer detection is based on a body of spectroscopic work that employs elastic scattering (Mie) theory to estimate the size of bulk scatterers in a given medium - in our case, the epithelial tissue of lungs. This paper describes the novel design of the Hyperspectral Imaging Endoscope, and our initial experiences with employing it for the early detection of dysplasia and cancer in lung epithelia.