High-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary is believed to originate in the fallopian tubes (FTs). A submillimeter diameter endoscope with advanced imaging capabilities may take advantage of the natural pathway of the female reproductive tract to image the FTs in a minimally invasive procedure for early detection of cancer. Our lab previously built a prototype benchtop FT endoscope with pseudowhite light imaging, multispectral fluorescence imaging and optical coherence tomography. This endoscope was approximately 0.9 mm in diameter, flexible and steerable in one direction. Several modifications have been made to create a falloposcope imaging system which is ready for clinical use. This new design includes a multilumen extrusion, a revised handle design, simplified lens design and redesigned subsystems resulting in improved mechanical characteristics, biocompatibility and portability while maintaining image quality. Additionally, these clinical endoscopes are single use, considerably less expensive and faster to build as compared to the prototype.
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