Development of a Fiber Optic Probe to Measure NIR Raman Spectra of Cervical Tissue In Vivo

• Published in: Photochemistry and photobiology 1998-09, Vol.68 (3), p.427-431
• Main Authors: Mahadevan-Jansen, Anita, Mitchell, Michele Follen, Ramanujam, Nirmala, Utzinger, Urs, Richards-Kortum, Rebecca
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biopsy; Calibration; Cervix Uteri - pathology; Cervix Uteri - physiology; Cervix Uteri - physiopathology; Colposcopy; Equipment Design; Female; Fiber Optic Technology; Humans; Lasers; Optical Fibers; Precancerous Conditions - diagnosis; Reproducibility of Results; Spectrum Analysis, Raman - instrumentation; Spectrum Analysis, Raman - methods; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - diagnosis
• ISSN: 0031-8655; 1751-1097
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-1097.1998.tb09703.x

ABSTRACT The goal of this study was to develop a compact fiber optic probe to measure near infrared Raman spectra of human cervical tissue in vivo for the clinical diagnosis of cervical precancers. A Raman spectrometer and fiber optic probe were designed, constructed and tested. The probe was first tested using standards with known Raman spectra, and then the probe was used to acquire Raman spectra from normal and precancerous cervical tissue in vivo. Raman spectra of cervical tissue could be acquired in vivo in 90 s using incident powers comparable to the threshold limit values for laser exposure of the skin. Although some silica signal obscured tissue Raman bands below 900 cm‐1, Raman features from cervical tissue could clearly be discerned with an acceptable signal‐to‐noise ratio above 900 cm‐1. The success of the Raman probe described here indicates that near infrared Raman spectra can be measured in vivo from cervical tissues. Increasing the power of the excitation source could reduce the integration time to below 20 s.