Quantitative study on appearance of microvessels in spectral endoscopic imaging.
Increase in abnormal microvessels in the superficial mucosa is often relevant to diagnostic findings of neoplasia in digestive endoscopy; hence, observation of superficial vasculature is crucial for cancer diagnosis. To enhance the appearance of such vessels, several spectral endoscopic imaging techniques have been developed, such as narrow-band imaging and blue laser imaging. Both techniques exploit narrow-band blue light for the enhancement. The emergence of such spectral imaging techniques has increased the importance of understanding the relation of the light wavelength to the appearance of superficial vasculature, and thus a new method is desired for quantitative analysis of vessel visibility in relation to the actual structure in the tissue. Here, we developed microvessel-simulating phantoms that allowed quantitative evaluation of the appearance of 15-μm-thick vessels. We investigated the relation between the vascular contrast and light wavelength by the phantom measurements and also verified it in experiments with swine, where the endoscopically observed vascular contrast was investigated together with its real vascular depth and diameter obtained by microscopic observation of fluorescence-labeled vessels. Our study indicates that changing the spectral property even in the wavelength range of blue light may allow selective enhancement of the vascular depth for clinical use.
FUJIFILM Corporation, Imaging Technology Center, Miyanodai 798, Kaisei, Kanagawa 258-8538, Japan.
Hiroshi
H
Yamaguchi
FUJIFILM Corporation, Imaging Technology Center, Miyanodai 798, Kaisei, Kanagawa 258-8538, Japan.
Takaaki
T
Saito
FUJIFILM Corporation, Imaging Technology Center, Miyanodai 798, Kaisei, Kanagawa 258-8538, Japan.
Yasushi
Y
Shiraishi
Nagoya University, Department of Micro-Nano Systems Engineering, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8603, Japan.
Fumihito
F
Arai
FUJIFILM Corporation, Medical System Research & Development Center, Miyanodai 798, Kaisei, Kanagawa 258-8538, Japan.
Yoshinori
Y
Morimoto
FUJIFILM Corporation, Safety Evaluation Center, Nakanuma 210, Minamiashigara, Kanagawa 250-0193, Japan.
Atsuko
A
Yuasa
D000818:Animals; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000098:blood supply; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D007834:Lasers; D055806:Microvessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D009092:Mucous Membrane; D062048:Narrow Band Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D013270:Stomach / Q000098:blood supply; D013552:Swine; D013556:Swine, Miniature