Microscopic hyperspectral imaging studies of normal and diabetic retina of rats

Hyperspectral Imaging and the Retina: Worth the Wave?

Purpose

Hyperspectral imaging is gaining attention in the biomedical field because it generates additional spectral information to study physiological and clinical processes. Several technologies have been described; however an independent, systematic literature overview is lacking, especially in the field of ophthalmology. This investigation is the first to systematically overview scientific literature specifically regarding retinal hyperspectral imaging.

Methods

A systematic literature review was conducted, in accordance with PRISMA Statement 2009 criteria, in four bibliographic databases: Medline, Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Web of Science.

Results

Fifty-six articles were found that meet the review criteria. A range of techniques was reported: Fourier analysis, liquid crystal tunable filters, tunable laser sources, dual-slit monochromators, dispersive prisms and gratings, computed tomography, fiber optics, and Fabry-Perrot cavity filter covered complementary metal oxide semiconductor. We present a narrative synthesis and summary tables of findings of the included articles, because methodologic heterogeneity and diverse research topics prevented a meta-analysis being conducted.

Conclusions

Application in ophthalmology is still in its infancy. Most previous experiments have been performed in the field of retinal oximetry, providing valuable information in the diagnosis and monitoring of various ocular diseases. To date, none of these applications have graduated to clinical practice owing to the lack of sufficiently large validation studies.

Translational Relevance

Given the promising results that smaller studies show for hyperspectral imaging (e.g., in Alzheimer's disease), advanced research in larger validation studies is warranted to determine its true clinical potential.

Hyperspectral and multispectral imaging in digital and computational pathology: a systematic review [Invited]

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) and multispectral imaging (MSI) technologies have the potential to transform the fields of digital and computational pathology. Traditional digitized histopathological slides are imaged with RGB imaging. Utilizing HSI/MSI, spectral information across wavelengths within and beyond the visual range can complement spatial information for the creation of computer-aided diagnostic tools for both stained and unstained histological specimens. In this systematic review, we summarize the methods and uses of HSI/MSI for staining and color correction, immunohistochemistry, autofluorescence, and histopathological diagnostic research. Studies include hematology, breast cancer, head and neck cancer, skin cancer, and diseases of central nervous, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary systems. The use of HSI/MSI suggest an improvement in the detection of diseases and clinical practice compared with traditional RGB analysis, and brings new opportunities in histological analysis of samples, such as digital staining or alleviating the inter-laboratory variability of digitized samples. Nevertheless, the number of studies in this field is currently limited, and more research is needed to confirm the advantages of this technology compared to conventional imagery.