Supported with 119 illustrations, this milestone work discusses key optical imaging techniques in self-contained chapters; describes the integration of optical imaging techniques with other modalities like MRI, X-ray imaging, and PET imaging; provides a software platform for multimodal integration; presents cutting-edge computational and data processing techniques that ensure rapid, cost-effective, and precise quantification and characterization of the clinical data; covers advances in photodynamic therapy and molecular imaging, and reviews key clinical studies in optical imaging along with regulatory and business issues.

This thesis describes the design, development, characterisation and clinical translation of three novel devices for optical endoscopic imaging. Over the past decade, rapid innovation in optics and photonics has led to the availability of low-cost and high-performance optical technologies that can be exploited for biomedical applications, but relatively few have been translated into clinic. The work presented outlines for the first time, a comprehensive analysis of the common barriers and unique challenges associated with the translation of optical imaging techniques. To assist developers streamline translation of optical imaging devices in future, a roadmap to clinical translation is outlined, and key translational characteristics are defined. Guided by these, subsequent development of endoscopic devices resulted in preparation and approval of endoscopes for first in human trials in the oesophagus, for early detection of cancer, and in the brain, for delineation of tumour during surgical resection. The thesis culminates in the presentation of results from the first in human use of a compact multispectral endoscope for imaging endogenous tissue contrast in the oesophagus. With continuation of the work as outlined at the end of this thesis, the novel techniques described have the potential to improve the standard of care in their respective indications.

This book provides an introduction to design of biomedical optical imaging technologies and their applications. The main topics include: fluorescence imaging, confocal imaging, micro-endoscope, polarization imaging, hyperspectral imaging, OCT imaging, multimodal imaging and spectroscopic systems. Each chapter is written by the world leaders of the respective fields, and will cover: principles and limitations of optical imaging technology, system design and practical implementation for one or two specific applications, including design guidelines, system configuration, optical design, component requirements and selection, system optimization and design examples, recent advances and applications in biomedical researches and clinical imaging. This book serves as a reference for students and researchers in optics and biomedical engineering.

Concise, yet comprehensive, coverage of various endoscopic forms as provided in this book will help the reader generate new knowledge in this field. Endoscopy has been in practice for many years in diagnostic medicine. From a simple image collection device, the endoscope has grown into an instrument that incorporates multiple imaging modalities to extract structural and functional information from different parts of the human body. Multimodality endoscopes are discussed in detail in this book, along with their clinical applications. The book is intended for graduate-level students as a quick reference to understand the evolving trends in endoscopic design research. The challenges that remain unaddressed could potentially be explored by biomedical researchers to advance this technology to realize the concept of optical biopsy during routine endoscopic examinations. The book portrays the endoscope as a purely optical instrument, and hence hybrid modes of endoscopic imaging are not covered.

Optical imaging in biomedicine provides pathophysiological information with high resolution, high speed, and minimal invasiveness. Endoscopy in particular has revolutionized healthcare diagnosis and treatment as well as biological research by offering visual access to otherwise unreachable remote tissues. However, existing endoscopic modalities face fundamental limitations in their designs that prohibit miniaturization to below a few millimeters in diameter, which would enable imaging through any natural or artificial lumen and thus unprecedented opportunities. This predicament and unmet medical needs such as deep-brain imaging, imaging-guided needle biopsy, and imaging-guided micro-surgery for new and scalable endoscope designs have motivated the concept of utilizing a single optical multimode fiber (MMF) as a stand-alone image conduit. MMF is fascinating as an optical waveguide attributed to its ultra-small footprint, high data throughput, low cost, and flexibility. Nevertheless, the mode mixing and dispersion effects inherent to MMF are technical barriers to its ability to relay clear images; optical propagation through a short length of MMF scrambles an image completely. The focus of this dissertation research is therefore to study waveguide physics of MMF and to innovate powerful computational methods as compensatory strategies that enable high fidelity imaging and sensing through the fiber: We developed numerical simulation toolboxes and experimental measurement systems to characterize bi-directional light transport through MMF; By modeling the light transmission through MMF and sample interaction with matrix operations, we demonstrated three-dimensional (3D) label-free multi-modal imaging based on computational reconstruction; To facilitate multi-spectral and broadband operations with MMF, we established a parametric dispersion model for efficient fiber calibration across a broad spectrum; The spatio-temporal modes within the MMF can be conveniently leveraged for depth sensing, where we created a high-resolution and long-range axial profiling system using MMF; Finally, we showed a proximal MMF calibration method for implementing flexible MMF-based endoscopes by exploiting the waveguide physics and numerical optimization.

Combining a professional development course on diagnostic endoscopy from SPIE (the international society advancing light-based research) and the authors’ graduate course on biomedical optics, this work is written for researchers in medical optics and biomedical engineering as well as graduate medical optics students. It uses extensive examples/case studies to familiarize readers with the basics of endoscopic optics, the pros and cons of white light endoscopy and fluorescence endoscopy for diagnostic applications, and various microscopic endoscopy imaging modalities. It covers basic optics, details of design and biomedical uses, as well as microscopic endoscopy, and endoscopic spectroscopy.

This book provides an in-depth description and discussion of different multi-modal diagnostic techniques for cancer detection and treatment using exact optical methods, their comparison, and combination. Coverage includes detailed descriptions of modern state of design for novel methods of optical non-invasive cancer diagnostics; multi-modal methods for earlier cancer diagnostic enhancing the probability of effective cancer treatment; modern clinical trials with novel methods of clinical cancer diagnostics; medical and technical aspects of clinical cancer diagnostics, and long-term monitoring. Biomedical engineers, cancer researchers, and scientists will find the book to be an invaluable resource. Introduces optical imaging strategies; Focuses on multimodal optical diagnostics as a fundamental approach; Discusses novel methods of optical non-invasive cancer diagnostics.