Polarised stereo endoscope and narrowband detection for minimal access surgery

• Published in: Biomedical optics express Vol. 5; no. 12; pp. 4108 - 4117
• Main Authors: Clancy, Neil T., Arya, Shobhit, Qi, Ji, Stoyanov, Danail, Hanna, George B., Elson, Daniel S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Optical Society of America 01.12.2014
• Subjects: (170.6510) Spectroscopy, tissue diagnostics; (170.3880) Medical and biological imaging; (290.5855) Scattering, polarization; (170.2150) Endoscopic imaging
• ISSN: 2156-7085; 2156-7085
• DOI: 10.1364/BOE.5.004108

Polarisation imaging has the potential to provide enhanced contrast based on variations in the optical properties, such as scattering or birefringence, of the tissue of interest. Examining the signal at different wavebands in the visible spectrum also allows interrogation of different depths and structures. A stereo endoscope has been adapted to allow snapshot acquisition of orthogonal linear polarisation images to generate difference of linear polarisation images. These images are acquired in three narrow bands using a triple-bandpass filter and pair of colour cameras. The first in vivo results, acquired during a surgical procedure on a porcine subject, are presented that show wavelength dependent variations in vessel visibility and an increase in contrast under polarised detection.