Diagnostics

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4 pages, 189 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Lesion Detection and Analysis Using Optical Imaging

by Viktor Dremin

Diagnostics 2023, 13(9), 1565; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13091565 - 27 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1188

Abstract

The biomedical application of optical spectroscopy and imaging is currently an active, developing area of research, supported by recent technical progress in the development of light sources and detectors [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lesion Detection and Analysis Using Optical Imaging)

Research

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11 pages, 36535 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of Blood Microcirculation Changes after COVID-19 Using Wearable Laser Doppler Flowmetry

by Elena V. Zharkikh, Yulia I. Loktionova, Andrey A. Fedorovich, Alexander Y. Gorshkov and Andrey V. Dunaev

Diagnostics 2023, 13(5), 920; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13050920 - 1 Mar 2023

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2736

Abstract

The present work is focused on the study of changes in microcirculation parameters in patients who have undergone COVID-19 by means of wearable laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) devices. The microcirculatory system is known to play a key role in the pathogenesis of COVID-19, [...] Read more.

The present work is focused on the study of changes in microcirculation parameters in patients who have undergone COVID-19 by means of wearable laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) devices. The microcirculatory system is known to play a key role in the pathogenesis of COVID-19, and its disorders manifest themselves long after the patient has recovered. In the present work, microcirculatory changes were studied in dynamics on one patient for 10 days before his disease and 26 days after his recovery, and data from the group of patients undergoing rehabilitation after COVID-19 were compared with the data from a control group. A system consisting of several wearable laser Doppler flowmetry analysers was used for the studies. The patients were found to have reduced cutaneous perfusion and changes in the amplitude–frequency pattern of the LDF signal. The obtained data confirm that microcirculatory bed dysfunction is present in patients for a long period after the recovery from COVID-19. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lesion Detection and Analysis Using Optical Imaging)

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22 pages, 5830 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Application Prospects of FTIR Spectroscopy and CLSM to Monitor the Drugs Interaction with Bacteria Cells Localized in Macrophages for Diagnosis and Treatment Control of Respiratory Diseases

by Igor D. Zlotnikov, Alexander A. Ezhov, Maksim A. Vigovskiy, Olga A. Grigorieva, Uliana D. Dyachkova, Natalia G. Belogurova and Elena V. Kudryashova

Diagnostics 2023, 13(4), 698; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13040698 - 12 Feb 2023

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 5227

Abstract

Visualization of the interaction of drugs with biological cells creates new approaches to improving the bioavailability, selectivity, and effectiveness of drugs. The use of CLSM and FTIR spectroscopy to study the interactions of antibacterial drugs with latent bacterial cells localized in macrophages create [...] Read more.

Visualization of the interaction of drugs with biological cells creates new approaches to improving the bioavailability, selectivity, and effectiveness of drugs. The use of CLSM and FTIR spectroscopy to study the interactions of antibacterial drugs with latent bacterial cells localized in macrophages create prospects to solve the problems of multidrug resistance (MDR) and severe cases. Here, the mechanism of rifampicin penetration into E. coli bacterial cells was studied by tracking the changes in the characteristic peaks of cell wall components and intracellular proteins. However, the effectiveness of the drug is determined not only by penetration, but also by efflux of the drugs molecules from the bacterial cells. Here, the efflux effect was studied and visualized using FTIR spectroscopy, as well as CLSM imaging. We have shown that because of efflux inhibition, eugenol acting as an adjuvant for rifampicin showed a significant (more than three times) increase in the antibiotic penetration and the maintenance of its intracellular concentration in E. coli (up to 72 h in a concentration of more than 2 μg/mL). In addition, optical methods have been applied to study the systems containing bacteria localized inside of macrophages (model of the latent form), where the availability of bacteria for antibiotics is reduced. Polyethylenimine grafted with cyclodextrin carrying trimannoside vector molecules was developed as a drug delivery system for macrophages. Such ligands were absorbed by CD206+ macrophages by 60–70% versus 10–15% for ligands with a non-specific galactose label. Owing to presence of ligands with trimannoside vectors, the increase in antibiotic concentration inside macrophages, and thus, its accumulation into dormant bacteria, is observed. In the future, the developed FTIR+CLSM techniques would be applicable for the diagnosis of bacterial infections and the adjustment of therapy strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lesion Detection and Analysis Using Optical Imaging)

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17 pages, 5912 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Glycerol-Induced Perfusion-Kinetics of the Cat Ovaries in the Follicular and Luteal Phases of the Cycle

by Alexey A. Selifonov, Andrey S. Rykhlov and Valery V. Tuchin

Diagnostics 2023, 13(3), 490; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13030490 - 29 Jan 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2975

Abstract

The method of immersion optical clearing reduces light scattering in tissues, which improves the use of optical technologies in the practice of clinicians. In this work, we studied the optical and molecular diffusion properties of cat ovarian tissues in the follicular (F-ph) and [...] Read more.

The method of immersion optical clearing reduces light scattering in tissues, which improves the use of optical technologies in the practice of clinicians. In this work, we studied the optical and molecular diffusion properties of cat ovarian tissues in the follicular (F-ph) and luteal (L-ph) phases under the influence of glycerol using reflectance spectroscopy in a broad wavelength range from 200 to 800 nm. It was found that the reflectance and transmittance of the ovaries are significantly lower in the range from 200 to 600 nm than for longer wavelengths from 600 to 800 nm, and the efficiency of optical clearing is much lower for the ovaries in the luteal phase compared to the follicular phase. For shorter wavelengths, the following tissue transparency windows were observed: centered at 350 nm and wide (46 ± 5) nm, centered at 500 nm and wide (25 ± 7) nm for the F-ph state and with a center of 500 nm and a width of (21 ± 6) nm for the L-ph state. Using the free diffusion model, Fick’s law of molecular diffusion and the Bouguer–Beer–Lambert radiation attenuation law, the glycerol/tissue water diffusion coefficient was estimated as D = (1.9 ± 0.2)10⁻⁶ cm²/s for ovaries at F-ph state and D = (2.4 ± 0.2)10⁻⁶ cm²/s—in L-ph state, and the time of complete dehydration of ovarian samples, 0.8 mm thick, as 22.3 min in F-ph state and 17.7 min in L-ph state. The ability to determine the phase in which the ovaries are stated, follicular or luteal, is also important in cryopreservation, new reproductive technologies and ovarian implantation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lesion Detection and Analysis Using Optical Imaging)

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20 pages, 2339 KiB

Open AccessArticle

VIS-NIR Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy System with Self-Calibrating Fiber-Optic Probe: Study of Perturbation Resistance

by Valeriya Perekatova, Alexey Kostyuk, Mikhail Kirillin, Ekaterina Sergeeva, Daria Kurakina, Olga Shemagina, Anna Orlova, Aleksandr Khilov and Ilya Turchin

Diagnostics 2023, 13(3), 457; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13030457 - 26 Jan 2023

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1872

Abstract

We report on the comparative analysis of self-calibrating and single-slope diffuse reflectance spectroscopy in resistance to different measurement perturbations. We developed an experimental setup for diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) in a wide VIS-NIR range with a fiber-optic probe equipped with two source and [...] Read more.

We report on the comparative analysis of self-calibrating and single-slope diffuse reflectance spectroscopy in resistance to different measurement perturbations. We developed an experimental setup for diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) in a wide VIS-NIR range with a fiber-optic probe equipped with two source and two detection fibers capable of providing measurements employing both single- and dual-slope (self-calibrating) approaches. In order to fit the dynamic range of a spectrometer in the wavelength range of 460–1030 nm, different exposure times have been applied for short (2 mm) and long (4 mm) source-detector distances. The stability of the self-calibrating and traditional single-slope approaches to instrumental perturbations were compared in phantom and in vivo studies on human palm, including attenuations in individual channels, fiber curving, and introducing optical inhomogeneities in the probe–tissue interface. The self-calibrating approach demonstrated high resistance to instrumental perturbations introduced in the source and detection channels, while the single-slope approach showed resistance only to perturbations introduced into the source channels. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lesion Detection and Analysis Using Optical Imaging)

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12 pages, 3225 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Diagnostic Accuracy of Line-Field Confocal Optical Coherence Tomography for the Diagnosis of Skin Carcinomas

by Elisa Cinotti, Tullio Brunetti, Alessandra Cartocci, Linda Tognetti, Mariano Suppa, Josep Malvehy, Javiera Perez-Anker, Susanna Puig, Jean Luc Perrot and Pietro Rubegni

Diagnostics 2023, 13(3), 361; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13030361 - 18 Jan 2023

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3017

Abstract

Line-field confocal optical coherence tomography (LC-OCT) is a new, noninvasive imaging technique for the diagnosis of skin cancers. A total of 243 benign (54%) and malignant (46%) skin lesions were consecutively enrolled from 27 August 2020, to 6 October 2021 at the Dermatology [...] Read more.

Line-field confocal optical coherence tomography (LC-OCT) is a new, noninvasive imaging technique for the diagnosis of skin cancers. A total of 243 benign (54%) and malignant (46%) skin lesions were consecutively enrolled from 27 August 2020, to 6 October 2021 at the Dermatology Department of the University Hospital of Siena, Italy. Dermoscopic- and LC-OCT-based diagnoses were given by an expert dermatologist and compared with the ground truth. Considering all types of malignant skin tumours (79 basal cell carcinomas (BCCs), 22 squamous cell carcinomas, and 10 melanomas), a statistically significant increase (p = 0.013) in specificity was observed from dermoscopy (0.73, CI 0.64–0.81) to LC-OCT (0.87, CI 0.79–0.93) while sensitivity was the same with the two imaging techniques (0.95 CI 0.89–0.98 for dermoscopy and 0.95 CI 0.90–0.99 for LC-OCT). The increase in specificity was mainly driven by the ability of LC-OCT to differentiate BCCs from other diagnoses. In conclusion, our real-life study showed that LC-OCT can play an important role in helping the noninvasive diagnosis of malignant skin neoplasms and especially of BCCs. LC-OCT could be positioned after the dermoscopic examination, to spare useless biopsy of benign lesions without decreasing sensitivity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lesion Detection and Analysis Using Optical Imaging)

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12 pages, 2276 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biochemical and Mechanical Analysis of Occlusal and Proximal Carious Lesions

by Sahar Al-Shareefi, Ali Addie and Lamis Al-Taee

Diagnostics 2022, 12(12), 2944; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics12122944 - 25 Nov 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1973

Abstract

A precise evaluation of caries excavation endpoint is essential in clinical and laboratory investigations. Caries invasion differentiates dentin into structurally altered layers. This study assessed these changes using Raman spectroscopy and Vickers microhardness. Ten permanent molars with occlusal and proximal carious lesions were [...] Read more.

A precise evaluation of caries excavation endpoint is essential in clinical and laboratory investigations. Caries invasion differentiates dentin into structurally altered layers. This study assessed these changes using Raman spectroscopy and Vickers microhardness. Ten permanent molars with occlusal and proximal carious lesions were assessed and compared at 130 points utilizing four Raman spectroscopic peaks: phosphate v1 at 960 cm⁻¹, amide I (1650 cm⁻¹), amide III (1235 cm⁻¹) and the C-H bond of the pyrrolidine ring (1450 cm⁻¹). The phosphate-to-amide I peak ratio and collagen integrity peak ratio (amide III: C-H bond) of carious zones were calculated and compared in both lesions. The former ratio was correlated to 130 Vickers microhardness indentations through lesions. The caries-infected dentin (CID) exhibited low phosphate peak, but higher amide I, III and C-H bond peaks than other zones in both lesions. The peaks in amide regions (I and III) varied in occlusal versus proximal lesions. A high correlation was found between mineral: matrix peak ratio and equivalent microhardness number within carious lesions, while the collagen integrity peak ratio was applied in proximal lesions only. Raman spectroscopy detected changes in the mineral and matrix contents within different carious zones and regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lesion Detection and Analysis Using Optical Imaging)

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10 pages, 2014 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Incoherent Optical Fluctuation Flowmetry: A New Method for the Assessment of Foot Perfusion in Patients with Diabetes-Related Lower-Extremity Complications

by Polina Glazkova, Alexey Glazkov, Dmitry Kulikov, Sergei Zagarov, Yulia Kovaleva, Alina Babenko, Yulia Kononova, Elena Kitaeva, Timur Britvin, Natalia Mazur, Roman Larkov and Dmitry Rogatkin

Diagnostics 2022, 12(12), 2922; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics12122922 - 23 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1556

Abstract

(1) Background: To date, there are no studies evaluating the ability of the incoherent optical fluctuation flowmetry (IOFF) method to assess foot tissue perfusion. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between perfusion values measured by IOFF and TcPO₂ [...] Read more.

(1) Background: To date, there are no studies evaluating the ability of the incoherent optical fluctuation flowmetry (IOFF) method to assess foot tissue perfusion. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between perfusion values measured by IOFF and TcPO₂ in patients with diabetes-related lower-extremity complications. (2) Methods: This was an observational, cross-sectional, two-center study. Diabetic patients with peripheral artery disease and/or diabetic foot ulcers were studied (n = 27, examinations were carried out on 54 legs). Perfusion in the foot tissues was assessed using TcPO₂ (reference standard for this study) and the IOFF method. (3) Results: High correlation coefficients of all perfusion parameters measured by IOFF with TcPO₂ (Rs 0.7 to 0.76) were shown. The study demonstrated that the IOFF method allows, with a sensitivity of 85.7% and a specificity of 90.0%, the identification of patients with a critical decrease in TcPO₂ < 20 mmHg. (4) Conclusions: The high correlation of IOFF parameters with TcPO₂ and the moderately high sensitivity and specificity in detecting patients with severe ischemia of foot tissues shows the promise of the method for assessing a tissue perfusion in patients with diabetes-related lower-extremity complications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lesion Detection and Analysis Using Optical Imaging)

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10 pages, 968 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study of the Natural Crystalline Lens Characteristics Using Dual-Energy Computed Tomography

by Jeffrey R. Sachs, Javier A. Nahmias, Kevin D. Hiatt, James G. Bomar, Thomas G. West, Paul M. Bunch, Marc D. Benayoun, Chris Lack and Atalie C. Thompson

Diagnostics 2022, 12(11), 2857; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics12112857 - 18 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1564

Abstract

There is a paucity of radiologic literature regarding age-related cataract, and little is known about any differences in the imaging appearance of the natural crystalline lens on computed tomography (CT) exams among different demographic groups. In this retrospective review of 198 eyes in [...] Read more.

There is a paucity of radiologic literature regarding age-related cataract, and little is known about any differences in the imaging appearance of the natural crystalline lens on computed tomography (CT) exams among different demographic groups. In this retrospective review of 198 eyes in 103 adults who underwent dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) exams of the head, regions of interest spanning 3–5 mm were placed over the center of the lens, and the x-ray attenuation of each lens was recorded in Hounsfield Units (HU) at 3 energy levels: 40 keV, 70 keV, and 190 keV. Generalized estimating equations (GEEs) were used to assess the association of clinical or demographic data with lens attenuation. The mean HU values were significantly lower for the older vs. younger group at 40 keV (GEE p-value = 0.022), but there was no significant difference at higher energy levels (p > 0.05). Mean HU values were significantly higher for females vs. males and non-whites vs. non-Hispanic whites at all 3 energy levels in bivariate and multivariable analyses (all p-value < 0.05). There was no significant association between lens attenuation and either diabetes or smoking status. The crystalline lens of females and non-whites had higher attenuation on DECT which may suggest higher density or increased concentration of materials like calcium and increased potential for cataract formation. Given the large scope of cataracts as a cause of visual impairment and the racial disparities that exist in its detection and treatment, further investigation into the role of opportunistic imaging to detect cataract formation is warranted. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lesion Detection and Analysis Using Optical Imaging)

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13 pages, 4264 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Combination of Optical Biopsy with Patient Data for Improvement of Skin Tumor Identification

by Yulia Khristoforova, Ivan Bratchenko, Lyudmila Bratchenko, Alexander Moryatov, Sergey Kozlov, Oleg Kaganov and Valery Zakharov

Diagnostics 2022, 12(10), 2503; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics12102503 - 15 Oct 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1728

Abstract

In this study, patient data were combined with Raman and autofluorescence spectral parameters for more accurate identification of skin tumors. The spectral and patient data of skin tumors were classified by projection on latent structures and discriminant analysis. The importance of patient risk [...] Read more.

In this study, patient data were combined with Raman and autofluorescence spectral parameters for more accurate identification of skin tumors. The spectral and patient data of skin tumors were classified by projection on latent structures and discriminant analysis. The importance of patient risk factors was determined using statistical improvement of ROC AUCs when spectral parameters were combined with risk factors. Gender, age and tumor localization were found significant for classification of malignant versus benign neoplasms, resulting in improvement of ROC AUCs from 0.610 to 0.818 (p < 0.05). To distinguish melanoma versus pigmented skin tumors, the same factors significantly improved ROC AUCs from 0.709 to 0.810 (p < 0.05) when analyzed together according to the spectral data, but insignificantly (p > 0.05) when analyzed individually. For classification of melanoma versus seborrheic keratosis, no statistical improvement of ROC AUC was observed when the patient data were added to the spectral data. In all three classification models, additional risk factors such as occupational hazards, family history, sun exposure, size, and personal history did not statistically improve the ROC AUCs. In summary, combined analysis of spectral and patient data can be significant for certain diagnostic tasks: patient data demonstrated the distribution of skin tumor incidence in different demographic groups, whereas tumors within each group were distinguished using the spectral differences. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lesion Detection and Analysis Using Optical Imaging)

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5 pages, 4510 KiB

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Photoacoustic Tomography Appearance of Fat Necrosis: A First-in-Human Demonstration of Biochemical Signatures along with Histological Correlation

by Yonggeng Goh, Ghayathri Balasundaram, Hui Min Tan, Thomas Choudary Putti, Celene Wei Qi Ng, Eric Fang, Renzhe Bi, Siau Wei Tang, Shaik Ahmad Buhari, Mikael Hartman, Ching Wan Chan, Yi Ting Lim, Malini Olivo and Swee Tian Quek

Diagnostics 2022, 12(10), 2456; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics12102456 - 11 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1947

Abstract

A 50-year-old woman with no past medical history presented with a left anterior chest wall mass that was clinically soft, mobile, and non-tender. A targeted ultrasound (US) showed findings suggestive of a lipoma. However, focal “mass-like” nodules seen within the inferior portion suggested [...] Read more.

A 50-year-old woman with no past medical history presented with a left anterior chest wall mass that was clinically soft, mobile, and non-tender. A targeted ultrasound (US) showed findings suggestive of a lipoma. However, focal “mass-like” nodules seen within the inferior portion suggested malignant transformation of a lipomatous lesion called for cross sectional imaging, such as MRI or invasive biopsy or excision for histological confirmation. A T1-weighted image demonstrated a large lipoma that has a central fat-containing region surrounded by an irregular hypointense rim in the inferior portion, confirming the benignity of the lipoma. An ultrasound-guided photoacoustic imaging (PA) of the excised specimen to derive the biochemical distribution demonstrated the “mass-like” hypoechoic regions on US as fat-containing, suggestive of benignity of lesion, rather than fat-replacing suggestive of malignancy. The case showed the potential of PA as an adjunct to US in improving the diagnostic confidence in lesion characterization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lesion Detection and Analysis Using Optical Imaging)

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