title: Hand-held optical imager (Gen-2): improved instrumentation and target detectability.
abstract: Hand-held optical imagers are developed by various researchers towards reflectance-based spectroscopic imaging of breast cancer. Recently, a Gen-1 handheld optical imager was developed with capabilities to perform two-dimensional (2-D) spectroscopic as well as three-dimensional (3-D) tomographic imaging studies. However, the imager was bulky with poor surface contact (~30%) along curved tissues, and limited sensitivity to detect targets consistently. Herein, a Gen-2 hand-held optical imager that overcame the above limitations of the Gen-1 imager has been developed and the instrumentation described. The Gen-2 hand-held imager is less bulky, portable, and has improved surface contact (~86%) on curved tissues. Additionally, the forked probe head design is capable of simultaneous bilateral reflectance imaging of both breast tissues, and also transillumination imaging of a single breast tissue. Experimental studies were performed on tissue phantoms to demonstrate the improved sensitivity in detecting targets using the Gen-2 imager. The improved instrumentation of the Gen-2 imager allowed detection of targets independent of their location with respect to the illumination points, unlike in Gen-1 imager. The developed imager has potential for future clinical breast imaging with enhanced sensitivity, via both reflectance and transillumination imaging.
authors.affiliation: Florida International University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Optical Imaging Laboratory, Miami, FL 33174, USA.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Decerce
authors.forename: Sarah J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Erickson
authors.forename: Sergio L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nunez
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roman
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Traub
authors.forename: Cecilia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.forename: Seigbeh M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Estrella
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.forename: Wenceslao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Aguirre
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kiszonas
authors.forename: Anuradha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Godavarty
mesh_terms: D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008904:Miniaturization; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D041622:Tomography, Optical / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014159:Transducers