title: Method of detecting tissue contact for fiber-optic probes to automate data acquisition without hardware modification.
abstract: We present a novel algorithm to detect contact with tissue and automate data acquisition. Contact fiber-optic probe systems are useful in noninvasive applications and real-time analysis of tissue properties. However, applications of these technologies are limited to procedures with visualization to ensure probe-tissue contact and individual user techniques can introduce variability. The software design exploits the system previously designed by our group as an optical method to automatically detect tissue contact and trigger acquisition. This method detected tissue contact with 91% accuracy, detected removal from tissue with 83% accuracy and reduced user variability by > 8%. Without the need for additional hardware, this software algorithm can easily integrate into any fiber-optic system and expands applications where visualization is difficult.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ruderman
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: Vadim
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Backman
keywords: (060.2310) Fiber optics; (120.1880) Detection; (170.1610) Clinical applications; (170.6510) Spectroscopy, tissue diagnostics; (230.3120) Integrated optics devices