Full-field optical coherence tomography (FFOCT) offers a non-invasive method of obtaining images of biological tissues at ultrahigh resolution (1µm in all 3 directions) approaching traditional histological sections. Previous clinical studies have shown the high efficiency of this imaging technique for the detection of cancer on various organs. This promises great potential of the technique for an ex-vivo quick analysis of surgical resections or biopsy specimens, in the aim to help the surgeon/radiologist decide on the course of action.
Here we will present some of the latest technical developments on a FFOCT system which can produce 1cm2 images with 1 µm resolution in 1 minute. Larger samples, up to 50mm diameter, can also be imaged. Details on the large sample handling, high-speed image acquisition, optimized scanning, and accelerated GPU tiles stitching will be given. Results on the clinical applications for breast, urology, and digestive tissues will also be given. They highlight the relevance of the system characteristics for the detection of cancer on ex-vivo specimens.
FFOCT now appears clearly as a very fast and non-destructive imaging technique that provides a quick assessment of the tissue morphology. With the benefit of both new technical developments and clinical validation, it turned into a mature technique to be implemented in the clinical environment. In particular, the technique holds potential for the fast ex-vivo analysis of excision margins or biopsies in the operating room.
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