Fewer Biopsies Go to Pathology Labs when Gastroenterologists Use New Miniature Microscope
Advances in use of probe-based Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy (pCLE) could mean that GIs refer fewer specimens to clinical pathology laboratories
Gastroenterologists are beginning to use what is being called the “world’s smallest microscope” to view tissue in situ and diagnose disease. It is a technology innovation that will have important ramifications for the anatomic pathology profession because this new system is designed to allow physicians to microscopically examine a patient’s GI tissue at the cellular level in its natural environment.
The product is entering clinical use in the United States. It is called Cellvizio and is manufactured by Mauna Kea Technologies (MKEA), a French company with offices in Newtown, Pennsylvania. Cellvizio is a miniature microscope that, once inserted into the GI tract, enables the physician to select cells for microscopic examination in order to make a more immediate decision regarding a diagnosis, as well as treatment.
