New Incoherent Autofluorescence/Fluorescence System for Early Detection of Lung Cancer

Martin Leonhard

doi:10.1155/dte.5.71

Abstract

A new autofluorescence (AF) system for bronchoscopy that operates as compact as a conventional white light bronchoscopy system is described. The system is also capable of white light illumination and excitation of aminolevulinic acid (ALA) induced fluorescence. Changing between white light and (auto-) fluorescence mode is easy and always possible. Broad band excitation with blue light (AF: 380–460 nm; ALA 380–440 nm) delivers high intensity illumination at the distal end of the bronchoscope (AF typically 50 mW). A special optical observation technique makes the AF directly visible to the eye instead of indirect techniques used in other AF systems. A compact (160 g)and sensitive (typically 0.2 lux) camera can be used for documentation.

Highlights

Going beyond normal vision is not necessary for living but can reveal a lot more information about the object being observed. Capturing this additional information opens the door to new analytical and diagnostic techniques. One of these new techniques is to reveal information hidden inside tissue to discriminate between suspect tumor tissue and normal tissue
Fluorescence originates in chromophores which can be intrinsic or added to the tumor tissue
The method of aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-induced detection of early tumor stages is successfully applied with D-Light excitation for detection ofsuperficial bladder cancer [3], malignant glioma [4] and in various other fields

Summary

MARTIN LEONHARD*

KARL STORZ GmbH & Co., Marketing New Technologies, Mittelstr. 8, D-78532 Tuttlingen, Germany. KARL STORZ GmbH & Co., Marketing New Technologies, Mittelstr. A new autofluorescence (AF) system for bronchoscopy that operates as compact as a conventional white light bronchoscopy system is described. The system is capable ofwhite light illumination and excitation of aminolevulinic acid (ALA) induced fluorescence. Changing between white light and (auto-) fluorescence mode is easy and always possible. Broad band excitation with blue light (AF: 380-460nm; ALA 380-440nm) delivers high intensity illumination at the distal end of the bronchoscope (AF typically 50 mW). A special optical observation technique makes the AF directly visible to the eye instead of indirect techniques used in other AF systems. A compact (160 g) and sensitive (typically 0.2 lux) camera can be used for documentation

INTRODUCTION

Basics of Fluorescence Imaging

Biophysical Effects of Autofluorescence

MATERIALS AND METHODS