Novel endoscopic optical diagnostic technologies in medical trial research: recent advancements and future prospects

Abstract

Novel endoscopic biophotonic diagnostic technologies have the potential to non-invasively detect the interior of a hollow organ or cavity of the human body with subcellular resolution or to obtain biochemical information about tissue in real time. With the capability to visualize or analyze the diagnostic target in vivo, these techniques gradually developed as potential candidates to challenge histopathology which remains the gold standard for diagnosis. Consequently, many innovative endoscopic diagnostic techniques have succeeded in detection, characterization, and confirmation: the three critical steps for routine endoscopic diagnosis. In this review, we mainly summarize researches on emerging endoscopic optical diagnostic techniques, with emphasis on recent advances. We also introduce the fundamental principles and the development of those techniques and compare their characteristics. Especially, we shed light on the merit of novel endoscopic imaging technologies in medical research. For example, hyperspectral imaging and Raman spectroscopy provide direct molecular information, while optical coherence tomography and multi-photo endomicroscopy offer a more extensive detection range and excellent spatial–temporal resolution. Furthermore, we summarize the unexplored application fields of these endoscopic optical techniques in major hospital departments for biomedical researchers. Finally, we provide a brief overview of the future perspectives, as well as bottlenecks of those endoscopic optical diagnostic technologies. We believe all these efforts will enrich the diagnostic toolbox for endoscopists, enhance diagnostic efficiency, and reduce the rate of missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis.

Photoacoustic Imaging in Medicine – A Review

“…PA endoscopy presents the same strength in spatial resolution of routinely used clinical EUS, whereas introducing more functional information at physiological sites [22]. For more about PA endoscopy, we refer the reader to [18,19,21,[23][24][25][26][27][28]. PATER (the fourth main category) could be considered a combination of computed PAT theory and PAM, trying to achieve a wide-field image with only a single-element ultrasonic detector upon a single laser shot [15][16][17].…”

“…At very deep regions, where PAI cannot achieve adequate resolution, the PA probe should be positioned close to the area of interest by the aid of endoscopy [18]. PA endoscopy is aiming to outdo the resolution limitations of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) which is a clinically available tomographic tool utilized for diagnosing more diseases [19]. From a market point of view, it is forecasted that the PAI market will increase in 2022 [20].…”

Biomedical Applications of Translational Optical Imaging: From Molecules to Humans

“…The references in these studies show a vibrant, active field that could benefit from the new capabilities, beyond what is achievable with the competing narrow-band imaging [195], which technically speaking is subsumed and performance-wise surpassed by hyperspectral imaging endoscopy. Recent advances were reviewed in [196]. An additional flavor of hyperspectral endoscopy will be outlined below, based not on composite, phenomenological (but still nicely discriminatory) signatures, but rather on a well-understood physical feature of light impinging on tissue (Mie scattering [197]).…”

Source multiplexing enhances the number of channels of a multispectral sensor

“…Endoscopic techniques are benefitting from a rapid evolution of miniaturised sensing technologies, to be deployed on board of in-body sensing capsules. Amongst these, optical spectroscopic and colorimetric sensing play a key role [1].…”