Estimation of biological chromophores using diffuse optical spectroscopy: benefit of extending the UV-VIS wavelength range to include 1000 to 1600 nm

With an optical fiber probe, we acquired spectra from swine tissue between 500 and 1600 nm by combining a silicon and an InGaAs spectrometer. The concentrations of the biological chromophores were estimated by fitting a mathematical model derived from diffusion theory. The advantage of our technique relative to those presented in previous studies is that we extended the commonly-used wavelength ranges of 500 and 1000 nm to include the range of 1000 to 1600 nm, where additional water and lipid absorption features exist. Hence, a more accurate estimation of these two chromophores is expected when spectra are fitted between 500 and 1600 nm than between 500 and 1000 nm. When extending the UV-VIS wavelength range, the estimated total amount of chromophores approached 100% of the total as present in the probed volume. The confidence levels of the water and lipid related parameters increases by a factor of four

Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy accurately quantifies various degrees of liver steatosis in murine models of fatty liver disease

Background: A real-time objective evaluation for the extent of liver steatosis during liver transplantation is currently not available. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) rapidly and accurately assesses the extent of steatosis in human livers with mild steatosis. However, it is yet unknown whether DRS accurately quantifies moderate/severe steatosis and is able to distinguish between micro-and macrovesicular steatosis. Methods: C57BL/6JolaHsd mice were fed wit a choline-deficient l-amino acid-defined diet (CD-AA) or a choline-sufficient l-amino acid-defined control diet (CS-AA) for 3, 8, and 20 weeks. In addition B6. V-Lepob/OlaHsd (ob/ob) mice and their lean controls were studied. A total of 104 DRS measurements were performed in liver tissue ex vivo. The degree of steatosis was quantified from the DRS data and compared with histopathological analysis. Results: When assessed by histology, livers of mice fed with a CD-AA and CS-AA diet displayed macrovesicular steatosis (range 0-74 %), ob/ob mice revealed only microvesicular steatosis (range 75-80 %), and their lean controls showed no steatosis. The quantification of steatosis by DRS correlated well with pathology (correlation of 0.76 in CD-AA/CS-AA fed mice and a correlation of 0.75 in ob/ob mice). DRS spectra did not distinguish between micro-and macrovesicular steatosis. In samples from CD-AA/CS-AA fed mice, the DRS was able to distinguish between mild and moderate/severe steatosis with a sensitivity and specificity of 86 and 81 %, respectively. Conclusion: DRS can quantify steatosis with good agreement to histopathological analysis. DRS may be useful for real-time objective evaluation of liver steatosis during liver transplantation, especially to differentiate between mild and moderate/severe steatosis

Steering light in fiber-optic medical devices: a patent review

Introduction: Steering light is relevant to many medical applications that require tissue illumination, sensing, or modification. To control the propagation direction of light beams, a great variety of innovative fiber-optic medical devices have been designed. Areas covered: This review provides a comprehensive overview of the patent literature on light beam control in fiber-optic medical devices. The Web of Science Derwent Innovation Index database was scanned, and 81 patents on fiber-optic devices published in the last 20 years (2001–2021) were retrieved and categorized based on the working principle to steer light (refraction/reflection, scattering, diffraction) and the design strategy that was employed (within fiber, at fiber end, outside fiber). Expert opinion: Patents describing medical devices were found for all categories, except for generating diffraction at the fiber end surface. The insight in the different designs reveals that there are still several opportunities to design innovative devices that can collect light at an angle off-axis, reduce the angular distribution of light, or split light into multiple beams

Tissue-mimicking phantom materials with tunable optical properties suitable for assessment of diffuse reflectance spectroscopy during electrosurgery

Emerging intraoperative tumor margin assessment techniques require the development of more complex and reliable organ phantoms to assess the performance of the technique before its translation into the clinic. In this work, electrically conductive tissue-mimicking materials (TMMs) based on fat, water and agar/gelatin were produced with tunable optical properties. The composition of the phantoms allowed for the assessment of tumor margins using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, as the fat/water ratio served as a discriminating factor between the healthy and malignant tissue. Moreover, the possibility of using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) or transglutaminase in combination with fat, water and gelatin for developing TMMs was studied. The diffuse spectral response of the developed phantom materials had a good match with the spectral response of porcine muscle and adipose tissue, as well as in vitro human breast tissue. Using the developed recipe, anatomically relevant heterogeneous breast phantoms representing the optical properties of different layers of the human breast were fabricated using 3D-printed molds. These TMMs can be used for further development of phantoms applicable for simulating the realistic breast conserving surgery workflow in order to evaluate the intraoperative optical-based tumor margin assessment techniques during electrosurgery

Chromophore based analyses of steady-state diffuse reflectance spectroscopy: current status and perspectives for clinical adoption

Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy is a rapidly growing technology in the biophotonics community where it has shown promise in its ability to classify different tissues. In the steady-state domain a wide spectrum of clinical applications is supported with this technology ranging from diagnostic to guided interventions. Diffuse reflectance spectra provide a wealth of information about tissue composition; however, extracting biologically relevant information from the spectra in terms of chromophores may be more useful to gain acceptance into the clinical community. The chromophores that absorb light in the visible and near infrared wavelengths can provide information about tissue composition. The key characteristics of these chromophores and their relevance in different organs and clinical applications is the focus of this review, along with translating their use to the clini

Layer thickness prediction and tissue classification in two-layered tissue structures using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy

During oncological surgery, it can be challenging to identify the tumor and establish adequate resection margins. This study proposes a new two-layer approach in which diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) is used to predict the top layer thickness and classify the layers in two-layered phantom and animal tissue. Using wavelet-based and peak-based DRS spectral features, the proposed method could predict the top layer thickness with an accuracy of up to 0.35 mm. In addition, the tissue types of the first and second layers were classified with an accuracy of 0.95 and 0.99. Distinguishing multiple tissue layers during spectral analyses results in a better understanding of more complex tissue structures encountered in surgical practice