SUPPLEMENT MEDICAL ELECTRONICS


OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY’ IN MEDICAL DIAGNOSTICS


Lionel Touchart, marketing manager of professional imaging at Teledyne e2vexplores the benefits of ‘Optical Coherence tomography’ in medical diagnostics


T


here is growing interest around Optical Coherence Tomography


(OCT) as a medical imaging technique. In 2012 there were just 30 companies developing OCT systems, but now that number has risen to more than 100. As mentioned by Transparency Market Research, some of the major driving factors for the growth of this market are associated with the increase in the prevalence of various disorders, and an increase in awareness and acceptance of the possibilities of optical imaging technologies. Thanks to a lifestyle shift where people are more sedentary, and an ageing population, diseases such as diabetes and hypertension are more frequently presenting in patients. OCT offers medical professionals the opportunity to detect problems early on thanks to non-invasive imaging that provides high-definition, cross-sectional images, without damaging living tissue or objects. OCT has already been successfully


applied in ophthalmologic eye care and disease diagnosis, where it is used to obtain sub-surface images and examine tissue within the body. It works by directing an optical beam at the tissue of interest; the small fraction of light that is reflected from the tissue is then collected and turned into a clear 3D image of the tissue sample. Any scattered light that would normally create background noise and obscure the image, is removed using interferometry. Light reflected directly from the surface of interest is then collected, with any background noise being rejected after processing. OCT is now being taken to the next


level by enabling wide 3D images and functional imaging. The standard camera for healthcare market leaders in Europe and Japan was created in conjunction with doctors and other medical industry professionals. Thanks to this new technology, both can benefit from reduced examination times for patients, enabling them to make more timely decisions. This is achieved thanks to the new generation of line scan cameras based on a new CMOS sensor pixel architecture - it has a maximum frequency around four times higher than CCD technology.


S10 FEBRUARY 2018 | ELECTRONICS


Teledyne e2v has been pioneering this technique in its range of line scan cameras since the early 2000s. Working closely with medical professionals, the company’s new Octopus Spectral- Domain OCT cameras harness CMOS technology to speed up image acquisition, while also improving image quality. One of the main benefits of Octopus is that it is specifically tuned to provide users with the most accurate images, for example of the retina and cornea; mapping tissue structures, measuring thickness and visualising blood flow dynamics for diagnostic purposes. Further benefits include reduced heat generation, improved stability of OCT equipment and increased maintenance intervals. This means that in ophthalmologic


There are several applications for these


types of cameras in medical, as well as in other industries. For example, they can be used in retinal disease diagnosis in order to detect diseases such as age- related macular degeneration or glaucoma. When it comes to age-related macular degeneration in particular, these cameras are especially useful as they allow doctors to detect the disease as early as possible. They can also be used to assist with cornea surgery to help ensure pinpoint accuracy. During endoscopies, these cameras can be used for laser surgery monitoring, as well as in dermatology to diagnose the early signs of skin cancer.


Figure 1:


Octopus provides users with accurate images, for example of the retina and cornea; mapping tissue structures,


measuring thickness and visualising blood flow dynamics for diagnostics


Figure 2:


Octopus Spectral- Domain OCT cameras harness CMOS technology to speed up image acquisition, while improving image quality


applications, for instance, these new line scan cameras can more than double the eye surface captured in a single scan without sacrificing resolution - improving confidence in the diagnosis protocol. Spectral- Domain OCT (SD-OCT) equipment currently available could benefit from an increased signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). This can help clinicians make better treatment decisions and enables earlier detection of peripheral pathologies like diabetic retinopathy, for example.


FUTURE AND EMERGING APPLICATIONS In the future, OCT will be used for emerging applications. These will include, for instance, the examination of brain tissue where it may be possible to detect the early signs of common diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Another area that has been highlighted as a promising application for the near future is the characterisation of haemoglobin – which is vital for diagnosing diseases such as sickle cell anaemia. The company plans to continue to support its worldwide customers by proposing standard and custom solutions, supporting the industry as more applications emerge.


Teledyne e2v www.e2v.com T: 01245 493493


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