Search

We developed an automated frame selection algorithm for high resolution microendoscope images. The algorithm rapidly selects a representative frame with minimal motion artifact from a short video sequence, enabling fully automated image analysis at the point-of-care. The performance of the algorithm was evaluated by comparing automatically selected frames to manually selected frames using quantitative image parameters. The implementation of fully automated high-resolution microendoscopy at the point-of-care has the potential to reduce the number of biopsies needed for accurate diagnosis of precancer and cancer in low-resource settings, where there may be limited infrastructure and personnel for standard histologic analysis.

Dysplastic and cancerous alterations in oral tissue can be detected noninvasively in vivo using optical techniques including autofluorescence imaging, high-resolution imaging, and spectroscopy. Interim results are presented from a longitudinal study in which optical imaging and spectroscopy were used to evaluate the progression of lesions over time in patients at high risk for development of oral cancer. Over 100 patients with oral potentially malignant disorders have been enrolled in the study to date. Areas of concern in the oral cavity are measured using widefield autofluorescence imaging and depth-sensitive optical spectroscopy during successive clinical visits. Autofluorescence intensity patterns and autofluorescence spectra are tracked over time and correlated with clinical observations. Patients whose lesions progress and who undergo surgery are also measured in the operating room immediately prior to surgery using autofluorescence imaging and spectroscopy, with the addition of intraoperative high-resolution imaging to characterize nuclear size, nuclear crowding, and tissue architecture at selected sites. Optical measurements are compared to histopathology results from biopsies and surgical specimens collected from the measured sites. Autofluorescence imaging and spectroscopy measurements are continued during post-surgery followup visits. We examined correlations between clinical impression and optical classification over time with an average followup period of 4 months. The data collected to date suggest that multimodal optical techniques may aid in noninvasive monitoring of the progression of oral premalignant lesions, biopsy site selection, and accurate delineation of lesion extent during surgery.