Multispectral imaging with a confocal microendoscope.

The concept of a multispectral confocal microscope for in vivo imaging is introduced. To demonstrate the concept we modified a slit-scan fluorescence confocal microendoscope incorporating a fiber-optic catheter for in vivo imaging to record multispectral images. The system was designed to examine cellular structures during optical biopsy and to exploit the diagnostic information contained within the spectral domain. Preliminary experiments were carried out in phantoms and cell cultures to demonstrate the potential of the technique.

Slit-scanning confocal microendoscope for high-resolution in vivo imaging.

We discuss the design and construction of a novel imaging system in which a fiber-optic imaging bundle and miniature optical and mechanical components are used to allow confocal fluorescence microscopy in remote locations. The instrumentation has been developed specifically for cellular examination of tissue for optical biopsy. Miniaturization of various components makes the device usable in a clinical setting. The numerical aperture of the beam in the tissue is 0.5, and the field of view is 430 microm. The measured lateral resolution of the system is 3.0 microm. The axial point and the axial planar response functions of the confocal system were measured with a FWHM of 10 and 25 microm, respectively. In vitro and in vivo images obtained with cell cultures, human tissue specimens, and animal models indicate that the performance of the device is adequate for microscopic evaluation of cells.

A survey of emergency penicillin treatment for meningitis.

The case fatality rate for meningococcal meningitis has changed little in recent years. A study of persons admitted to hospital in Bristol with suspected meningitis found that only five of the 41 cases admitted in 1991 were given penicillin prior to admission. Possible reasons for this include lack of awareness of the need, reluctance to give injections to children, uncertainty about dosage, failure to carry injectable penicillin and diagnostic uncertainty.

Giardiasis--a cause of travellers' diarrhoea.

A surveillance programme using postal questionnaires was set up to monitor giardiasis in Bristol. Ninety-seven questionnaires were returned from 117 index cases in the first year. Cases appeared to fall into one of three main groups, namely, pre-school children (23 cases), those who travel abroad (22 cases had travelled in the month prior to the onset of their symptoms), and those who engaged in recreational water use prior to the onset of their illness (44 out of 66 cases aged 10 years or more). Routine surveillance data can indicate important routes of transmission of giardiasis in the local community.