Diagnosis of tissue pathology with elastic scattering spectroscopy

An optical biopsy system based on elastic-scatter spectroscopy has been developed. This system uses white light excitation, is relatively inexpensive, endoscopically compatible, and portable. Light is delivered to the tissue by one or more optical fibers. The OBS has been tested on bladder cancer with excellent results. Preliminary data on the usefulness of the OBS to diagnose dysplasia in the esophagus and detect adenomatous polyps indicate that the OBS may also be useful in these arenas.