Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging System for Inhalation Injury Assessment and Therapy Guidance

The main objective of this research program is to develop and validate a novel imaging technology for inhalation injury assessment. Currently, bronchoscopy is considered the "gold standard" for early evaluation of upper airway injury. However, bronchoscopy lacks subsusurface tissue information and cannot provide any functional information, like blood flow, blood oxygenation, etc., which are essential for airway injury diagnosis and therapy progress evaluation. Therefore, a technology capable of providing additional morphological and functional information could be used in correlation with bronchoscopy to improve the clinical outcome of inhalation injury patients. Physical Sciences, Inc., proposes to develop a novel technology that will allow for more accurate evaluation of inhalation injury gravity. This technology, based on optical coherence tomography imaging, will provide the surgeon with real-time feedback about the morphological appearance of the injured tissue, as well as functional data like vasodilation and blood flow. The Phase I study will determine the feasibility of the proposed technology for epithelial airway imaging. In Phase II, a rugged, compact, user-friendly, field-deployable prototype will be developed and tested on patients at Shriners Burn Hospital, Boston, MA.