Novel Hand-Held Optical Imager with Real-Time Co-Registration Facilities Towards Diagnostic Mammography.

摘要

Hand-held optical imaging devices using near-infrared (NIR) light are currently developed toward clinical translation of the technology. However, none of the devices developed to date have been used toward 3D tomography since they are not able to coregister the image to the tissue geometry. The objective for the work described herein is the clinical translation of a handheld optical imager with automated coregistration facilities toward 3D tomography. Studies were performed in phantoms, in vitro, and in vivo with healthy female volunteers. A spherical target filled with a fluorescent contrast agent was placed superficially underneath the breast tissue to represent a tumor. Images were collected and coregistered using the hand-held imager. The data from the coregistered image was used to generate a 3D image of the target within the breast tissue. Preliminary studies were carried out to demonstrate 2D diffuse optical imaging with actual breast cancer subjects. The results show for the first time the feasibility of performing 3D tomography in human breast tissue and imaging of human breast cancer in vivo using a hand-held optical imager.