Excitation-scanning hyperspectral video endoscopy: enhancing the light at the end of the tunnel

Colorectal cancer is the 3r d leading cancer for incidence and mortality rates. Positive treatment outcomes have been associated with early detection; however, early stage lesions have limited contrast to surrounding mucosa. A potential technology to enhance early stagise detection is hyperspectral imaging (HSI). While HSI technologies have been previously utilized to detect colorectal cancer ex vivo or post-operation, they have been difficult to employ in real-time endoscopy scenarios. Here, we describe an LED-based multifurcated light guide and spectral light source that can provide illumination for spectral imaging at frame rates necessary for video-rate endoscopy. We also present an updated light source optical ray-tracing model that resulted in further optimization and provided a similar to 10X light transmission increase compared to the initial prototype. Future work will iterate simulation and benchtop testing of the hyperspectral endoscopic system to achieve the goal of video-rate spectral endoscopy. (C) 2020 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreement

Automated summary

Colorectal cancer ranks third in terms of both incidence and mortality rates. Early detection is crucial for positive treatment outcomes, and hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technology shows potential for enhancing early stage lesion detection. However, challenges remain in utilizing HSI technology in real-time endoscopy scenarios.