Real-time endoscopic optical coherence tomography in human patients

Summary form only given. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a novel technique for non-invasive, sub-surface, high-resolution imaging of biological ultrastructure based on low-coherence interferometry. OCT has previously been applied clinically for high-resolution, non-contact imaging of structures in the anterior and posterior segments of the eye. Recently, basic and applied studies of OCT imaging performance in highly scattering tissues has led to the investigation of this technology for diagnostic imaging in the skin, teeth, and oral cavity, as well as the mucosa of the gastrointestinal, respiratory and urogenital tracts. The potential for clinical application of OCT in gastrointestinal endoscopy is particularly exciting since many common gastrointestinal lesions occur within the depth range of OCT imaging (1-2 mm). Initial reports of OCT imaging through endoscopes in humans at low speed (one frame/second) and at higher speed in animals (4 frames/second) have recently appeared.