? The limitations of endoscopy for early diagnosis of ischemic colitis and other gastrointestinal diseases can be overcome by introducing new functions into the conventional endoscope. These functions allow noninvasively measuring blood flow and blood-oxygenation. To realize these options Physical Optics Corporate on (POC) proposes an innovative multiwavelength, optical coherence endoscope oximeter (MENDOXIM). It will be capable of measuring tissue oxygenation for tissue cross section to a depth of 1-3 mm with lateral width about 1 mm while providing a high-resolution morphological image of the same area. In Phase I, POC will test the prototype MENDOXIM on tissue phantoms and demonstrate its performance on a chicken embryo in laboratory conditions. Upon evaluation of the test results, POC will optimize the MENDOXIM design for developing a Phase II working prototype ready for tests on animal models. ? ?
