Laser induced fluorescence is widely being developed as a new method for early detection of pre-cancerous tissue. Typically an optical fiber probe directly contacting tissue is used for detection and localization of abnormal tissue. This method of tissue interrogation has certain clinical and diagnostic restrictions due to physical contact with the tissue. This method of tissue interrogation has certain clinical and diagnostic restrictions due to physical contact with the tissue. The objective of our study was to investigate the method of remote sensing in colposcopy. The device was designed using an optical multichannel analyzer with UV excitation. The excitation light is delivered through the fiber bundle to the optical head that is attached to the colposcope. This arrangement allows one to conveniently collect fluorescence spectra from the cervix during regular colposcopy examination. To understand the practical restrictions of the remote sensing the influence of various factors are studied. A few modifications of the device were tested. Phantoms were created and used to test the device. Data form more than 200 patients shows substantial improvement in sensitivity and specificity compared with the doctor's impressions. The result of the experimental measurements of tissue-like phantoms and in- vivo measurements are provided. The modification increased the average signal/noise ration more than 4 times.

Date Published: 9 June 1998
PDF: 10 pages
Proc. SPIE 3261, Three-Dimensional and Multidimensional Microscopy: Image Acquisition and Processing V, (9 June 1998); doi: 10.1117/12.310561

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 3261:
Three-Dimensional and Multidimensional Microscopy: Image Acquisition and Processing V
Thomas Taiwei Lu; Carol J. Cogswell; Jeremy M. Lerner; Jose-Angel Conchello; Jeremy M. Lerner; Thomas Taiwei Lu; Tony Wilson, Editor(s)