
==== Front
Endoscopy
Endoscopy
10.1055/s-00000012
Endoscopy
Endoscopy
0013-726X
1438-8812
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

39299287
10.1055/a-2409-0070
E-Videos-2024-07-5183-EV
E-Videos
Use of an endoscopic virtual ruler based on the fiber laser principle and artificial intelligence technology
Kuai Yaxian
Zhou Shiwei
Sun Bin
Wang Xu Dr.
Xiao Youwei
Wu Aijiu
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3273-5760
Kong Derun MD
1 36639 Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
2 601409 School of Software, University of Science and Technology of China School of Software Engineering, Hefei, China
3 Research and Development Department, Hefei Zhongna Medical Instrument Co. Ltd, Hefei, China
Correspondence Derun Kong, MD Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui MedicalNo.81 Jixi RoadShushan District, Hefei City, 230031, Anhui ProvinceChinakongderun168@163.com
19 9 2024
12 2024
1 9 2024
56 Suppl 1 E795E796
The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
2024
The Author(s).
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
2022 Key Research and Development Plan Project of the Science and Technology Department of Anhui Province2022e07020048
==== Body
pmc The accurate measurement of lesion size during endoscopic procedures is of paramount importance. It not only informs the assessment of disease risk, but also guides the selection of appropriate surgical interventions and provides a foundation for effective treatment monitoring 1 . Current endoscopic measurement techniques, such as visual inspection, the tension clamp method, and the implantable instrument ruler, still exhibit certain limitations 2 . To address this challenge, researchers have explored the development of an endoscopic virtual ruler based on fiber laser principles and artificial intelligence (AI) technology, which aims to enable simple and precise real-time measurement of various types of lesions.

In this innovative model, a laser-based approach is employed to precisely measure the size and distance of targets 3 . Leveraging a medical endoscope, fiber-coupled laser, laser collimator, and an advanced AI algorithm, the system generates laser spots that appear at varying size at different distances ( Fig. 1 ). By analyzing the spot area in the captured image and correlating it with the known scale bar, the system is able to accurately estimate the distance to the object and calculate its actual size. This end-to-end solution streamlines the measurement process during medical procedures, enabling healthcare professionals to make informed decisions based on reliable data-driven insights. The integration of cutting-edge laser technology and intelligent software algorithms underscores the continuous advancements in medical imaging and diagnostics.

Fig. 1 Schematic diagram of the endoscopic virtual ruler construction.

Video 1 shows the novel model being used to accurately size a large raised polyp, a laterally spreading polyp, and an early gastric cancer ( Fig. 2 ).

Fig. 2 Examples of measurements made using the virtual ruler for: a a round foreign body in an ex vivo pig stomach; b an early antral cancer; c a sigmoid colon polyp; d a laterally spreading polyp in the ascending colon.

An introduction to the endoscopic virtual ruler, including its demonstration on an ex vivo pig stomach and three different lesions in patients.

Video 1

Endoscopy_UCTN_Code_TTT_1AQ_2AI

Endoscopy E-Videos https://eref.thieme.de/e-videos

E-Videos is an open access online section of the journal Endoscopy , reporting on interesting cases and new techniques in gastroenterological endoscopy. All papers include a high-quality video and are published with a Creative Commons CC-BY license. Endoscopy E-Videos qualify for HINARI discounts and waivers and eligibility is automatically checked during the submission process. We grant 100% waivers to articles whose corresponding authors are based in Group A countries and 50% waivers to those who are based in Group B countries as classified by Research4Life (see: https://www.research4life.org/access/eligibility/ ). This section has its own submission website at https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/e-videos .

Conflict of Interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
==== Refs
References

1 von Renteln D Djinbachian R Zarandi-Nowroozi M Measuring size of smaller colorectal polyps using a virtual scale function during endoscopies Gut 2023 72 417 420 10.1136/gutjnl-2022-328654 36411028
2 Wang J Li Y Chen B A real-time deep learning-based system for colorectal polyp size estimation by white-light endoscopy: development and multicenter prospective validation Endoscopy 2024 56 260 270 10.1055/a-2189-7036 37827513
3 Feng H Zhan L Zhu R Endoscopic displacement measurement based on fiber optic bundles Opt Express 2022 30 14948 10.1364/OE.455510 35473227
