Clever combo: multi-modality imaging developed by novel optics

Funding novel optics and imaging software encourages the evolution of multi-modality imaging and provides more business opportunities, according to the latest analysis from Frost and Sullivan.

The publication, "Emerging Trends in Optical Imaging Techniques for Drug Discovery, Clinical Diagnostics and Molecular Imaging (Technical Insights)", demonstrates that the development of novel optics, data acquisition methods and image processing software has significantly encouraged the evolution of optical imaging technologies.

Optical imaging, at both macroscopic and microscopic levels, are frequently used by clinicians to image tissues with enhanced contrast and resolution capabilities.

Prasanna Vadhana Kannan, Senior Research Analyst at Technical Insights, said, "Technology trends are moving from conventional confocal microscopy to optical coherence tomography (OCT), with the adoption of newer technologies such as adaptive optics and polarization imaging in ophthalmology. Several start-ups are developing innovative technologies, most of which are in the near completion and advanced phases of clinical approval in the optical imaging market."

Kannan continued, "OCT is truly an easy-to-use modality that provides digital cellular 2-D and 3-D imaging solutions for clinical and research pathology lab application needs on fixed or fresh tissue. Further refinement could result in achieving significantly higher resolution capabilities and better differentiation of cancerous lesions, embryology studies, and stem cells (involving therapeutics research)."