FIBER OPTIC MICRO-ENDOSCOPY FOR DETECTION OF BACTERIA IN EARLY STAGES OF INFECTION
Citation
Mufti, N. S. (2010). Fiber optic micro-endoscopy for detection of bacteria in early stages of infection (Master's thesis, Texas A&M University)
Keywords
- Fiber Optic Micro-endoscopy
- Bacteria Detection
- Early Stage Infection
- Tuberculosis
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis
- Fluorescence
- Fluorescent Proteins
- In Vivo Imaging
- Animal Models
- Lung Imaging
- Sensitivity and Resolution
Brief
This thesis presents a new fiber optic micro-endoscope system that can detect fluorescent bacteria during the early stages of infection.
Summary
This 2010 Master's thesis by Nooman Sadat Mufti, submitted to Texas A&M University, discusses the development and application of a fiber optic micro-endoscope for detecting bacteria in the early stages of infection.
The thesis emphasizes the limitations of current bacterial detection methods, such as PCR and ELISA, which are not real-time or in vivo. While whole-animal fluorescence imaging systems offer some promise, they struggle to quantify bacterial growth in early stages due to tissue absorption and scattering of photons.
To address these challenges, the author developed a contact probe fiber bundle fluorescence micro-endoscope. This system boasts a range of LED-based excitation wavelengths, 4 µm resolution, a 750 µm field of view, and a 1 mm outer diameter.
Testing demonstrated the micro-endoscope's ability to detect both GFP and tdTomato expressing Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) bacteria in vitro. The system successfully imaged bacterial regions of infection in mice with subcutaneous infections at varying concentrations and in mice with intra-tracheal infections.
The thesis concludes that this fiber-based fluorescence imaging system holds significant potential for studying the early-stage dynamics of bacterial infections in vivo, especially when used in conjunction with whole-body imaging systems. The author suggests that future modifications, such as adding an objective lens to the fiber tip, could further enhance the system's capabilities.