 |
PENTAX Corporation is pleased to announce that it has commenced overseas sales of its flexible confocal endomicroscopy system for medical applications as of March 1, 2006. Taking advantage of confocal technology * , this newly developed confocal endomicroscopy system provides sharply focused, high-resolution images at high magnifications for cellular-level observations.
The confocal endomicroscopy system announced at this time is intended for lower gastrointestinal track and has been jointly developed by PENTAX and Australia's Optiscan Imaging Limited ( http://www.optiscan.com.au ). While general medical endoscopes are limited to macro observations of mucosa surface patterns, this system permits observations of mucosa cells in the colon and other organs at the same level of detail as pathological examinations of living specimens.
- *
- Confocal technology is a technology for attaining sharply focused images. Conceptually, confocal technology works by positioning a pinhole in front of the image detector, thus allowing only those light rays reflected from the focal plane to reach the detector while blocking out all out-of-plane rays. Because confocal technology can obtain images at different depths at high magnifications, it has been deployed for many years in laboratory confocal microscope.
|
Major Features
|
- Remarkable image magnification
This system can magnify images up to an astounding 1,000 times when paired with a digital zoom. ( Magnifications up to 500 times are possible without the digital zoom. ) This magnification has been realized by making the confocal optical system tiny enough to be incorporated in the tip of the endoscope.
- Superb resolution
The system's optical resolution is extremely high, around 1-μm ( 0.001 mm ). This fine resolution enables real-time observations of in vivo mucosa cells and cell nuclei.
- Surface and surface-proximity observations
PENTAX's confocal endomicroscopy system can provide images of mucosa not only at the tissue surface but also in horizontal slices just below the surface. The maximum observation depth is 250μm.
- Integrated confocal system
Our system incorporates the optical system for confocal observations in a normal endoscope. This means the system can be used both as a confocal endomicroscopy and as a normal endoscope.
|
 |
Main Specifications
|
- Main unit : PENTAX ISC-1000
| Excitation light source |
Semiconductor laser ( maximum output : 1mW ) |
| Excitation wavelength |
488 nm |
|
- Scope : PENTAX EC-3870CIK
| Field of view |
Conventional Endoscope Image : 140° |
| Field of view |
Confocal Image ( nominal ) : 475-μm x 475-μm |
| Depth of Confocal Imaging penetration |
Maximum 250 μm |
| Rigid Distal Diameter |
12.8 mm |
| Diameter of Instrument Channel |
2.8 mm |
|
|
|
|
