A researcher has received $3 million to develop a one-millimeter scope using optical coherence tomography to visualize fallopian tube damage.
A biomedical engineer at the University of Arizona is developing a new microscopic imaging tool for detecting endometriosis, supported by a five-year, $3 million award from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The project aims to address the diagnostic challenges of the painful condition, which affects more than 10% of women ages 15 to 44, according to the US Office on Women’s Health.
The research, led by Jennifer Barton, PhD, focuses on creating a tool to visualize the fallopian tubes, where endometriosis can cause significant damage leading to infertility and ectopic pregnancies.
“The fallopian tubes are one of those organs that nobody knows much about,” says Barton, interim vice provost for health programs at the University of Arizona and a member of the BIO5 Institute, in a release. “Yet, they are where conception takes place, and they are very important for female reproductive health.”
Imaging Cilia with Optical Coherence Tomography
The team is building a one-millimeter-wide scope, about the size of a sewing needle’s tip, designed to navigate the narrow fallopian tubes. The device uses optical coherence tomography (OCT) to penetrate tissue and capture hundreds of images per second of cilia, the microscopic hairlike tendrils that line the organs.
In healthy tissue, cilia beat in coordinated, wave-like patterns to move contents along. However, when endometriosis damages the fallopian tubes, this movement becomes erratic. By identifying how cilia beat out of sync, the device could provide an earlier and more accurate diagnosis. The technology is similar to a patented falloposcope the researchers are moving through clinical trials for ovarian cancer detection.
“Cilia are very important for keeping organs clean and for moving contents along, but they’re microscopic,” says Barton in a release.
Validating the Technology and Next Steps
Initial data supporting the project comes from Dilara Long, a biomedical engineering doctoral student and MD-PhD candidate. Long published a study in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine in July showing that OCT can precisely measure the beat frequency of cilia in human tissue samples.
“We have shown that optical coherence tomography imaging can reveal the location and beat frequency of surface and hidden fallopian tube cilia, potentially advancing understanding, diagnosis and management of reproductive disorders,” says Long in a release.
A key technical challenge is designing the tool to distinguish cilia motions from the movement of the scope and the patient. Barton’s team is applying machine learning algorithms to isolate and analyze cilia activity. The project also involves a partnership with Baylor College of Medicine to ensure diverse patient participation in the study.
Beyond endometriosis, the team envisions the tool helping clinicians address other fertility issues and reproductive diseases linked to cilia function.
“Understanding whether an infertility issue is tubal, for example, would help determine the next course of action,” says Barton in a release.
ID 267992419 | Concept © Panuwat Dangsungnoen | Dreamstime.com
