MEMS-Based Medical Endomicroscopes

Progress toward early diagnosis of cancer would have significant clinical benefits in reducing mortality or prolonging life in cancer patients; thus, there is an important unmet clinical need to image cellular features of cancer in vivo and in real time to correlate pathological symptoms and underlying cells responsible for such symptoms. In this paper, we describe a review of microelectromechanical systems scanners-based endoscopic optical coherence tomography, confocal, two-photon, and photoacoustic microscopy imaging. These advanced optical imaging modalities can provide subcellular (micron-scale) resolution and deep tissue penetration to reveal both cells and molecular features for early cancer diagnosis, cancer staging, and surgical guidance.