Development of OCT Technology for Clinical Applications

Abstract

Optical coherence tomography (OCT), like many new technologies, was conceived in a university laboratory by a group of researchers who went on to demonstrate its utility in a series of published feasibility studies. Regrettably, this is also where the lives of many promising medical technologies end, because they fail to make the transition from benchtop to bedside. The ultimate success of a new medical technology is measured by its impact on clinical practice, either directly through sales of new medical products or indirectly through contributions to scientific knowledge that eventually lead to new products. Although the history of commercialization of OCT is short, early successes have already been achieved as a result of the combined efforts of industry and academic researchers. This chapter provides a glimpse of on-going efforts by LightLab Imaging, Inc., to develop OCT for application in clinical medicine. The first two sections of the chapter discuss key issues involved in creating a clinical imaging system, with emphasis on the product development process. The next section presents details of the design of the LightLab OCT imaging system. The remaining sections of the chapter focus on specific applications of OCT with which LightLab has extensive experience: intravascular imaging and endoscopic imaging. These applications are discussed in detail, beginning with the identified clinical needs and ending with a review of the latest results from clinical studies.