Optical frequency domain imaging system and catheters for volumetric imaging of the human esophagus

Barrett's esophagus (BE) is a metaplastic disorder that can undergo dysplastic progression, leading to esophageal adenocarcinoma. Upper endoscopy is the standard of care for screening for BE, but this technique has a relatively low diagnostic accuracy and high cost due to the requirement of conscious sedation. Optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI) is a high-speed imaging modality that generates cross-sectional images of tissues with a resolution of approximately 10 mu m that is sufficient for detecting microscopic tissue architecture. In combination with a balloon-centering catheter, this method enables BE diagnosis over the entire distal esophagus.