Abstract
Novel endoscopic biophotonic diagnostic technologies have the potential to non-invasively detect the interior of a hollow organ or cavity of the human body with subcellular resolution or to obtain biochemical information about tissue in real time. With the capability to visualize or analyze the diagnostic target in vivo, these techniques gradually developed as potential candidates to challenge histopathology which remains the gold standard for diagnosis. Consequently, many innovative endoscopic diagnostic techniques have succeeded in detection, characterization, and confirmation: the three critical steps for routine endoscopic diagnosis. In this review, we mainly summarize researches on emerging endoscopic optical diagnostic techniques, with emphasis on recent advances. We also introduce the fundamental principles and the development of those techniques and compare their characteristics. Especially, we shed light on the merit of novel endoscopic imaging technologies in medical research. For example, hyperspectral imaging and Raman spectroscopy provide direct molecular information, while optical coherence tomography and multi-photo endomicroscopy offer a more extensive detection range and excellent spatial–temporal resolution. Furthermore, we summarize the unexplored application fields of these endoscopic optical techniques in major hospital departments for biomedical researchers. Finally, we provide a brief overview of the future perspectives, as well as bottlenecks of those endoscopic optical diagnostic technologies. We believe all these efforts will enrich the diagnostic toolbox for endoscopists, enhance diagnostic efficiency, and reduce the rate of missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis.
Highlights
An endoscope is used in medicine to examine the interior of a hollow organ or cavity of the human body [1, 2]
Existing commercial endomicroscopy including endocytoscopy (EC, Olympus, Japan) [14] or probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (PCLE, Mauna KeaTech, France) [15] can image at cellular information, their detection range is limited to the surface of the mucosa (< 1 mm in depth) which may cause the missed diagnosis of the hidden lesions in deep tissue [16]
The advent of these technologies in medical trial research, such as photoacoustic endoscopy (PAE), Raman spectroscopy (RS), two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) imaging has opened a new era and created tremendous opportunities for the enhanced identification and biochemical characterization of diseases. These modalities have the potential to allow non-invasive in vivo “optical biopsy” which differentiates areas of similar clinical characteristics, challenging the ex vivo histology which is the only way for definitive cancer diagnosis [17]
Summary
An endoscope is used in medicine to examine the interior of a hollow organ or cavity of the human body [1, 2]. Many studies have been conducted in numerous research centers on novel endoscopic diagnostic technologies to provide more accurate diagnostic information The advent of these technologies in medical trial research, such as photoacoustic endoscopy (PAE), Raman spectroscopy (RS), two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) imaging has opened a new era and created tremendous opportunities for the enhanced identification and biochemical characterization of diseases. These modalities have the potential to allow non-invasive in vivo “optical biopsy” which differentiates areas of similar clinical characteristics, challenging the ex vivo histology which is the only way for definitive cancer diagnosis [17]. They cut down the number of biopsy times, costs, and risks for patients
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