Smartphone‐based multimodal tethered capsule endoscopic platform for white‐light, narrow‐band, and fluorescence/autofluorescence imaging

Abstract

Multimodal low‐cost endoscopy is highly desirable in poor resource settings such as in developing nations. In this work, we developed a smartphone‐based low‐cost, reusable tethered capsule endoscopic platform that allows white‐light, narrowband, and fluorescence/autofluorescence imaging of the esophagus. The ex‐vivo studies of swine esophagus were performed and compared with a commercial endoscope to test the white‐light imaging capabilities of the endoscope. The efficacy of the capsule for narrow‐band imaging was tested by imaging the vascularization of the tongue. To determine the autofluorescence/fluorescence capability of the endoscope, fluorescein dye with different concentrations was imaged. Furthermore, swine esophagus injected with fluorescein dye was imaged using the fluorescence/autofluorescence and the white‐light imaging modules, ex‐vivo. The overall cost of the capsules is approximately 12 €, 15 €, and 42 € for the white light imaging, the narrow‐band imaging, and the fluorescence/autofluorescence imaging respectively. In addition, the cost of the laser source module required for the narrow‐band imaging and the fluorescence/autofluorescence imaging is approximately 218 €. This device will open the possibility of imaging the esophagus in underprivileged areas.

Smartphone-based multimodal tethered capsule endoscopic platform for white-light, narrow-band, and fluorescence/autofluorescence imaging

“…It should be noted that we used a fixed diffuser in front of the laser delivery fiber in the designed capsule to minimize the effects of speckles in the sample illumination. Whereas a moving diffuser can effectively reduce the speckles in the illumination, a fixed diffuser is only effective if the speckles produced on the sample are much smaller than the resolution of the imaging system [30]. For the designed capsule, we measured the average speckle size at a distance of 10 mm from the imaging window and was found to be approximately 8 μm.…”

Examination of Entire Gastrointestinal Tract: A Perspective of Mouth to Anus (M2A) Capsule Endoscopy

“…In addition, other imaging modalities, which are currently under investigation, may highlight the expectations for CE as a pan-endoscopy. Several experimental trials for fluorescence-based CE systems have been recently introduced in the literature [56][57][58]. After creating a robust M2A capsule, the application of targeted fluorescence imaging technology enables the biological detection of GI abnormalities by conjugating fluorescent dyes to lesion-specific proteins, which will considerably enhance the functionalities of M2A capsules as a screening tool.…”