Multiparametric standards for performance assessment and quality control of fluorescence molecular imaging and endoscopy systems

Fluorescence molecular imaging (FMI) and endoscopy (FME) are technologies with great potential for image-guided surgical or diagnostic interventions. However, FMI and FME still present challenges that can confound real-time decision making for disease management and/or treatment. Importantly, the markedly different systems hurdle the repeatability of measurements, the unbiased readout interpretation, and the wide clinical acceptability of FMI and FME. Herein we present different multi-parametric standards to perform quality control and performance assessment of FMI and FME systems. Moreover, we discuss examples illustrating how data analysis and the design of fluorescence standards influence performance assessment outcomes, potentially affecting comparisons between systems or studies. We, also, show the first standard tailored to the requirements of FME and demonstrate its use for quality control of a fiberscope-based FME system. The discussed performance assessment and quality control framework can accelerate the clinical translation of fluorescence molecular imaging and endoscopy and steer further developments in the field.