Here is my orginal posting to the confocal list and the 2 responses I rec'd.
Doug
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>Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1998 16:54:33 -0400
>Reply-To: Confocal Microscopy List <[log in to unmask]>
>Sender: Confocal Microscopy List <[log in to unmask]>
>From: Doug Cromey <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Clinical uses of confocal?
>To: [log in to unmask]
>
>A colleague here at the University of Arizona is developing a WWW-based
>educational unit that will mention the use of confocal microscopy in
>toxicology research conducted here at our NIEHS funded center. She asked
>me about the use of confocal microscopy in medicine (see the exerpt of out
>conversation below) and I mentioned opthamology, but are there other
>clinical uses of confocals?
>
>To keep the traffic on the list down, please reply to me ands I will post a
>summary.
>
>Yours,
>Doug Cromey
>
>-----------------------
>> >1. Are there any medical uses for it? If so, what are they?
>>
>> Confocals are used extensively in opthamology (on live people). The
>> instrument is a slightly modified version (sorry I don't know how),
>> but they are apparently great for examining the different cell
>> layers of the retina. I would think there would be uses in
>> Pathology, since immunofluoresence is already used extensively in
>> that field for identifying cellular markers of disease states, but
>> I'm not aware of any specifics. I can post a question to the
>> confocal listserv if you'd like.
>
>That would be great! What I need to know are examples of how the
>confocal is used in medicine and some specifics about what it is used
>to do. IE if it is used to diagnose disease X, how is it used? Do
>they count cells with it or look at shapes or locations or what?
>------------------------
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>Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1998 17:15:33 -0500
>Reply-To: Confocal Microscopy List <[log in to unmask]>
>Sender: Confocal Microscopy List <[log in to unmask]>
>From: "Beuerman, Roger" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: Clinical uses of confocal?
>To: [log in to unmask]
>
> We have been working on the application of real-time white light
>confocal microscopy to ophthalmology and dermatology for the past five
>years. An approved device has been able to diaganose many types of corneal
>infections and aslo infections of the fingernails. There is an expanding
>group of people around the world using this type of confocal technology for
>clinical use. However, this approach works well for basic research where
>tissue culture or histology may have been previuosly substituted. High
>magnifications of 400-600 can be used with patients or in laboratory animals.
> This is in addition to the laser scanning technologies that have
>been used for the retina.
> Regards,
> Roger Beuerman
===============================================
>Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1998 18:24:41 -0400 (EDT)
>From: Norman Jay Kleiman <[log in to unmask]>
>Sender: [log in to unmask]
>To: Doug Cromey <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: Clinical uses of confocal?
>
>i am on the ophthalmology faculty at Columbia University and am funded for
>confocal work in the cornea, iris and lens. The retina scope is really a
>low magnification device not similar to the benchtop models you are
>familiar with. (it cannot resolve cells, the field is rather large for a
>microscope) and it cannot really resolve the different layers of the
>retina very well. In the human eye, which is ~25 mm deep, it is very
>difficult to get enough light in for imaging. On the other hand, in the
>cornea, the confocal has been used extensively in diagnosis and evaluation
>fo pathology, for example, in identifying herpetic lesions, fungal
>infections and acaenthoba sopres. It is also used for examining the
>health of the surface epithelium and the posterior endothelium following
>surgical procedures, eg, cornea transplants, refractive procedures or
>trauma. In addition, the corneal nerves within the body of the cornea,
>the stroma, can be imaged and correlated with disease or surgical
>manipulation. In our department, we have modified scopes and specialized,
>custom made objectives that permit us to image the iris and lens and
>relate morphology to pathology and aging. As far as I know, we have the
>only scopes than can do this. I would be happy to provide additional
>details and/or references for ophthalmology at your request
>
>
.....................................................................
: Douglas W. Cromey, M.S. Dept. of Cell Biology & Anatomy :
: Sr. Research Specialist University of Arizona :
: (office: AHSC 4212A) P.O. Box 245044 :
: (voice: 520-626-2824) Tucson, AZ 85724-5044 USA :
: (FAX: 520-626-2097) (email: [log in to unmask]) :
:...................................................................:
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