METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING BARRETT'S METAPLASIA OF THE ESOPHAGUS

摘要

A system for detecting Barrett's metaplasia utilizes an illumination and imaging probe (32) at the end of a catheter (34). The probe (32) illuminates the wall of the esophagus and returns reflected light to be processed to provide a visual indication of the color of the esophageal wall. The position of the probe along the length of the esophagus is also measured to allow a medical practitioner to determine the location of the transition from the pink stomach lining to the white esophageal lining.