Developing training tools for detecting cervical cancer with HRME

Introduction

High Resolution Micro Endoscopy(HRME)

Images taken by HRME

Conclusions and Future plans

Conclusions

・Clearly see the letters

・Letter size would be below 500 microns

Threat of cervical cancer

24mm diameter pattern

Target for HRME

Akane Katayama, Sonia Gomez Parra, and Rebecca Richards-Kortum

TOMODACHI Program and Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, TX, USA

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Meiji University, Kawasaki, JAPAN

・Proflavine is applied to tissue surface

・Blue light diode(LED) illuminates

・Fluorescence from the proflavine-stained surface is collected by the fiber bundle

・Matlab based image analysis algorithm analyzes the image automatically

・Calculating the average nuclear to cytoplasm ratio

・More than 85% of cervical cancer death occurs in developing countries

・In developing countries, there are low resources for cervical cancer screening

・Richards-Kortum Lab is developing low-cost high-resolution microendocopy

(HRME) to detect cervical cancer in the initial phase

Inside HRME

HRME

Tablet interface(Surface Pro;Microsoft)

USB cable

connected to HRME

Optic fiber(790micron in diameter)

Normal cervix Abnormal cervix

・Imaging requires practice to focus when using the HRME in real patients

・Physicians should acquire images in a short amount of time to check easily

・Good images should be taken to analyze the image correctly

My purpose

・Make training tools for teaching physicians how to use the HRME

AcknowledgementsThis research was conducted as part of the 2017 TOMODACHI STEM @ Rice University

Program which is funded by a grant from the TOMODACHI Initiative, a program of the U.S. -

Japan Council.

I would like to thank Professor Rebecca Richards-Kortum and Sonia Gomez Parra for their

support of my research and participation in this program.

Training tool for physicians

Operation procedures

Training tool for imaging the cervix

Imaging gel models

Gel is

settled

in

Foot

pedal is

attached

to take

images

Usually,

physicians

use one

hand to

image

Speculum

Pelvic

Frame

Labia

Cervix

adapter

Side view of training tool Top view of training tool

Vaginal

Canal

[1] [2]

Picture of HRME imaging system

Normal analyzed cervix

CCD

Tube

Lens

Fiber

Bundle

Objective

Lens

Dichroic

Filter

Schematic view of optical system

Emission

Filter

Excitation

Filter

LED Optical system

Abnormal analyzed cervix

・Molds with two separate parts were designed and formed functional gel models

・The patterns with words were imaged clearly

References[1] American Cancer Society, “Cancer Facts& Figures 3rd Edition”, p36, 2015.

[2] American Cancer Society, “Cancer Facts& Figures 3rd Edition”, p38, 2015.

Designing molds（CAD Software: Solidworks)

Printing gel molds(material: PLA)

Forming gel models

Type A: Single type mold Type B: Two type mold

Prepare 20% ballistic gel with proflavine

Making gel models for imaging

Type A: Original design Type B: New design with two parts

Good

forming

Edge is

nicely

fitted to

gel

Bad

forming

Edge

of film

has

peeled

away

Gel model formed from Type A Gel model formed from Type B

Image with letters

Future Plans

・New patterns with 10~60 micron dots are designed, and imaged

・The new patterns with dots and beads still produce blurry images

・More studies are needed to better form the film patterns as well as discover the appropriate

concentration of beads in the gel for imaging

Films are designed with Adobe illustrator・Images are blurry

・Shape of the dots

are observed

Image with 6~8 micron dots

・No dots are found

6~8micron dots pattern

Image with 60~80micron dots

・Images are blurry

・Some dots are

imaged not clear

Image with glass beads

60~80micron dots pattern

Glass beads(2~20micron particle)