Han Sukgu, El-Abbadi Naglaa H, Hanna Nevine, Mahmood Usama, Mina-Araghi Reza, Jung Woong-Gyu, Chen Zhongping, Colt Henri, Brenner Matthew
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Beckman Laser Institute Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.
Respiration. 2005 Sep-Oct;72(5):537-41. doi: 10.1159/000087680.
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a new technology capable of generating high resolution cross-sectional images of complex tissue in real time. Analogous to ultrasound, OCT measures backscattered light intensity using coherence interferometery to construct topographical images of complex tissue. Since OCT uses infrared light rather than acoustic waves, its spatial resolution is exceptionally high (2-10 microm). Recent advances in data acquisition, analysis, and processing enable real-time imaging, and make OCT a potentially valuable tool for pulmonary airway diagnostic applications, including assisting directed airway biopsies.
This study evaluates feasibility of OCT for delineating proximal airway microstructures in various animal as well as human tracheas.
Excised trachea samples from New Zealand white rabbits, Duroc pigs, and human trachea were imaged using a compact, 1,300-nm broad-band superluminescent-diode-based prototype fiber OCT device we constructed. The resulting structural OCT images were compared to conventional hematoxilin and eosin (HE) stained histological sections from the same samples.
OCT was able to delineate microstructures such as the epithelium, mucosa, cartilage, and glands in all samples.
These findings suggest that integration of OCT with flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy could enhance pulmonary diagnostic medicine and detection of pathologic tissue changes in various respiratory diseases.
光学相干断层扫描（OCT）是一项能够实时生成复杂组织高分辨率横截面图像的新技术。与超声类似，OCT利用相干干涉测量法测量背向散射光强度，以构建复杂组织的地形图。由于OCT使用红外光而非声波，其空间分辨率极高（2 - 10微米）。数据采集、分析和处理方面的最新进展实现了实时成像，使OCT成为肺部气道诊断应用中具有潜在价值的工具，包括辅助定向气道活检。
本研究评估OCT描绘各种动物以及人类气管近端气道微观结构的可行性。
使用我们构建的基于紧凑型1300纳米宽带超发光二极管的原型光纤OCT设备，对新西兰白兔、杜洛克猪的离体气管样本以及人类气管进行成像。将所得的OCT结构图像与来自相同样本的传统苏木精和伊红（HE）染色组织切片进行比较。
OCT能够描绘所有样本中的微观结构，如上皮、黏膜、软骨和腺体。
这些发现表明，将OCT与可弯曲纤维支气管镜相结合可加强肺部诊断医学以及各种呼吸道疾病中病理组织变化的检测。
