3D Microscopy for Cancer Screening

This screening uses optical projection tomography whereby after the lens creates an extended field of the image; an inverted groove allows rotation of microcapillary tube with sub- micron precision. The body cells are imaged in angular increments to gather the images and align them. However, this can only be done when the cells are injected into the tubes. When conducting the experiment, it is important to estimate the spatial frequency cut off in the image that is projected through comparing the depth of the field image of a typical cell nucleus to a focused image. The resolution loss is assessed by a dyed microsphere. This paper will look at 3D microscopic cancer screening through using optical projection tomography. It seeks to clarify the method and ethical issues related to this screening.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

There are some ethical issues which concern 3D Microscopy for Cancer screening which include: non-mischief referring to where clinicians propose interventions to patients to enable them benefit from these programmes, patient anatomy which is coercing patients into screening by clinicians without making them feel forced. This is done through campaigns to instil a clear picture of the risks and benefits of screening done in consideration not to cause harm against the nurses and patients will. Furthermore, screens ought to be done through a balance of all groups in society. Screening should not neglect the poor as its objective is to reach all people. The entire process generally ought to consider all the moral issues to achieve a cordial solution to all malpractices that may be associatedwith it. However, it is important for every person to go through 3D Microscopy for Cancer Screening for early diagnosis of cancer in their bodies.

Optical projection tomography method

Since the introduction of three-dimensional X-ray imaging, radiology has been revolutionized due to the benefit of having cross-sectional view of human anatomy. Shwal et al (2015) reconstructed images from a single nucleus in three-dimension with analogous approach using optical images taken unto a maximum of 90 degrees apart. However, there are still technical difficulties when practically constructing images from multiple and orthogonal perspectives. I 3D technology, the cells stick to the outer surface of a spindle which is rotated. This replaced the previous idea of trying to rotate cells within the capillary tube. When using a multi-cellular specimen, 3D optical tomography technical challenges are reduced.

To acquire orthogonal views, one is required to prepare custom cell for optical microscopy. The standard microscope slide preparation is used to reduce range of view angles. There are various techniques that can be used. The most common are using single or multiple objective lenses to scan and illuminate beam across the single objectives high numerical aperture. After using one of the two methods, one can acquire a single view 3 dimension image with the use of laser scanning microscopy in form of confocal geometry. Though it has anisotropic point spread function which reduces spatial resolution along the optical axis versus the lateral direction by a third. In large scale confocal laser scanning microscope systems, fluorescence limits the image contrast eliminating cellular specimens comparison for standard cytological and histological use.

Moreover, there have been many technical development 3D optical microscopies with high resolution which have been developed since imaging in fluorescence does not meet current requirements of physiologist who uses stains that area absorbed.

To use a tomographic reconstruction method, one needs to increase the depth of the filed for it to host the entire specimen to be screened. To achieve this, you increase the DOF and preserver the in-plane resolution. The extended depth of field image is created by scanning the focal plane of a high NA objective lens axially via cell nucleus. This is called a pseudoprojection so that it is differentiated from the normal projection image since the retractile and diffraction effects contrast. When using tomographic reconstruction method, extension of the depth of flied to create a replica of projection image is crucial. Alternatively, wavefront coding can be used, since it minimise contrast reversal and increase resolution at larger defocus values. This brings about greater computational time, loss of signal-to-noise ratio and increased system complexity.

Ideally, optical projection tomography microscope is an improved transmission optical microscope that contains microcapillary tube-based rotational stage. This permits 360 degree rotation when injecting or viewing the cells. Optical distortion brought about by cylintrically-shaped tube is reduced by refractive index which match both inside and outside the microcapillary. Optical tomography projection also has piezoelectrically-driven objective lens positioned what facilitates extension of field of depth via incoherent superpositioning (Chen, 2015). Depth of field extension is crucial in formation of appropriate projection image, so that the cell nucleus components are presented in the same focus when viewed from different angle. This feature is important for tomographic reconstruction purposes. Optical projection tomography microscope also has rotation and translation of CCD camera position adjustment used to in aligning the axis of rotation of microcapillary tube (Park, 2013).

Ethical issues

Two critical ethical issues concerning 3D Microscopy have been raised. These are safety and efficiency testing, justice in access and whether the technology aims at increasing individuals capacity beyond human normality. In regards to justice and access, the major issue concerns personalized medicine development cost of treatments. The previous development in personalized medicine rhymes with the differences between the health poor and the rich. The question is whether the use of 3D microscope in screening cancer should only be accessible to those who are capable of paying the extra cost? If this is the case, then the poor who do not afford to pay for it will not get effective treatment. However, Current development in the use of three dimension microscopes has facilitated provision of affordable personalized medicine avoiding criticism (Strano, 2016).

In regards to safety, any treatment technology come with safety issues toughing on how safe or effective the equipment or technology is before being used as a treatment equipment. Unlike development of a new drug, three-dimension microscopy being a technological advancement cannot be tested on treatment of a large group of healthy people before it is rendered safe. Someones cells cannot be used as a test before the tool is accepted as standard diagnostic equipment. As such, the regulatory bodies need to start new testing standards for regulatory before rendering the equipment readily available.

References

In Chen, C. H. (2015). Frontiers of medical imaging

In Park, K. (2013). Biomaterials for cancer therapeutics: Diagnosis, prevention, and therapy.

Strano, S. (2016). Cancer chemoprevention: Methods and protocols. New York: Humana Press.