Intraoperative imaging of pediatric vocal fold lesions using optical coherence tomography

Abstract

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been previously identified as a promising tool for exploring laryngeal pathologies in adults. Here, we present an OCT handheld probe dedicated to imaging the unique geometry involved in pediatric laryngoscopy. A vertical cavity surface emitting laser-based wavelengthswept OCT system operating at 60 frames per second was coupled to the probe to acquire three-dimensional (3-D) volumes in vivo. In order to evaluate the performance of the proposed probe and system, we imaged pediatric vocal fold lesions of patients going under direct laryngoscopy. Through this in vivo study, we extracted OCT features characterizing each pediatric vocal fold lesion, which shows a great potential for noninvasive laryngeal lesion discrimination. We believe OCT vocal fold examination in 3-D will result in improved knowledge of the pediatric anatomy and could aid in managing pediatric laryngeal diseases.

Using attenuation coefficients from optical coherence tomography as markers of vocal fold maturation

“…Graphical analysis of image intensity as a function of image depth revealed unique image intensity profiles for each specimen type suggesting the observed differences may be attributable to differences in lamina propria substructure . Again, this study was limited by a small sample size, so we developed an OCT probe suitable for in vivo vocal fold imaging . We set out to image young and old pediatric patients to see if unique image intensity profiles could be captured.…”

“…20 Again, this study was limited by a small sample size, so we developed an OCT probe suitable for in vivo vocal fold imaging. 21 We set out to image young and old pediatric patients to see if unique image intensity profiles could be captured. In this study, we had three primary objectives: 1) to systematically image the vocal fold, 2) to develop a methodology for image analysis, and 3) to identify markers of vocal fold development derived from OCT.…”

Coregistered optical coherence tomography and frequency-encoded multispectral imaging for spectrally sparse color imaging

“…1 It provides cross-sectional images of tissue morphology up to several millimeters deep, with axial resolutions ranging from 1 to 20 μm. 2,3 Using optical fiber technology, OCT has been adapted to endoscopic imaging in various fields, which include cardiology, 4 gastroenterology, [5][6][7] laryngology, 8 urology, 9 and gynecology. 10 Furthermore, highly miniaturized OCT probes have enabled access to deep organ structures that are inaccessible to standard video endoscopes.…”

Review of intraoperative optical coherence tomography: technology and applications [Invited]

“…The longer operating wavelength resulted in poorer axial resolution compared to 850 nm HHOCT for retinal imaging but longer penetration depth, which was beneficial for imaging turbid media such as normal and pathologic breast tissue. Similarly, a recently reported probe also used a 1300 nm swept-source system operating at 100 kHz for intraoperative imaging of pediatric vocal fold lesions [96]. This sideviewing probe employed GRIN lenses, 2.7 mm in diameter and 95-127 mm long, to relay focused light to the sample.…”

“…A MEMS-based mirror scanner reduced the overall footprint of the probe. (C) Intraoperative research-grade HHOCT probe using a long GRIN lens-based relay for imaging of pediatric vocal fold lesions [96].…”