CHICAGO, Nov. 3, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New imaging technology using one of
the world's smallest flexible microscopes enables physicians to look -- at the
cellular level -- at living, moving tissue in the lungs and gastrointestinal
tract so they can make a rapid diagnosis or carefully select tissue for biopsy.
With the probe-based, confocal, laser-endomicroscopy system known as
Cellvizio(R), which is used through a standard endoscope or bronchoscope,
University of Chicago physicians can examine tissue in the gastrointestinal
tract or look deep into the lungs to examine and assess early stages of disease.
With magnification 500 to 1,000 times that of a standard scope and 10 to 50
times that of a magnifying scope, the Cellvizio system, one of about 40 in the
United States, can help doctors distinguish between normal and cancerous tissue
without taking samples. If they do need samples, the probe helps them detect
exactly the tissue they need for a biopsy rather than extracting multiple
samples from the general vicinity of suspected disease.
"Until now, if we found suspicious tissue during a diagnostic procedure, we had
to take out tissue almost randomly and send it to a laboratory for analysis,"
said Irving Waxman, M.D., professor of medicine and surgery at the University of
Chicago, the first center in Illinois to use the system. "This meant that
cancerous tissue could be missed."
"With Cellvizio," said Waxman, "we can pinpoint abnormal tissue during the
initial diagnostic exam, remove it, and then go back to be certain that we got
what we needed."
The tiny microscope, produced by Mauna Kea Technologies of Paris, France, (known
as Cellvizio in the U.S.) is cleared by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for
use in the gastrointestinal tract and lungs. It consists of a laser light system
coupled with a miniprobe made of tens of thousands of individual optical fibers
capped by microlenses. The scope is as small as 1 mm in diameter, small enough
to pass through accessory channels on most standard GI or pulmonary scopes.
Specialists worldwide have used the device for more than 3,000 procedures to
date.
The tiny flexible device is inserted through a channel in a standard scope. The
tip is placed on the tissue to be examined. It sends back 12 high-resolution
video images per second. By adjusting the focus, the probe can provide clear,
detailed images of tissue slightly beneath the surface.
Recent studies have demonstrated the value of the technology in multiple areas.
"We currently use it to identify precancerous areas in Barrett's esophagus (the
major risk factor for esophageal cancer) for improved detection and targeting of
minimally invasive endoscopic therapy," said Vani Konda, MD, instructor of
medicine at the University of Chicago. "The technology can also be applied in
the colon, bile duct and pancreas to try to differentiate cancer from
inflammatory (benign) disorders."
Cellvizio has been shown to be beneficial in allowing physicians to
differentiate cell types, including abnormal tissues which may be indicative of
early cancers, which then may lead them in making earlier diagnosis, according
to Mauna Kea Chief Executive, Sacha Loiseau. "It's especially useful in getting
into tiny bile ducts," he adds.
"Detailed microscopic images of the esophagus or the bile ducts can also help us
reduce the risk of biopsy-related complications," said Waxman. "By identifying
in vivo the area of interest we can move right then to follow with a therapeutic
application."
"The tiny miniprobe can also be inserted through the bronchoscope and extended
well into the lungs, even to the smaller branches of the bronchial tree," said
pulmonologist Kyle Hogarth, MD, FCCP, assistant professor of medicine and
director of bronchoscopy at the University of Chicago. "Better visualization
could help us perform fewer, more-targeted biopsies," he said. "It lets us
examine and sample tissues that were previously inaccessible without more
invasive surgery."
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CONTACT: University of Chicago
John Easton
(773) 702-6241
John.Easton@uchospitals.edu
