Summary
Vanderbilt researchers have developed an optical system for the differentiation of normal and cancerous skin lesions. The system combines the diagnostic prowess of two separate techniques to provide non-invasive, real-time, in-situ evaluation of lesions.
Addressed Need
- Existing technique requires invasive and painful tissue biopsy followed by time-consuming histopathological analysis
- A tumor margin determination device does not exist in the marketplace
- The two techniques used individually do not provide sufficient information to diagnose skin lesions
Technology Description
The present technology combines two proven methods, Raman spectroscopy and optical coherence tomography, to provide both real-time biochemical information and tissue structure data, thus obviating the limitations of each technique when used independently. Raman spectroscopy is an optical technique that probes the specific molecular content of a sample by collecting in-elastically scattered light. Optical coherence tomography is a recently developed imaging modality capable of generating depth-resolved images of tissue micro-structure. The combination of these two techniques provides the requisite information to allow definitive differentiation between tumorous and healthy tissue in a non-invasive manner.
Competitive Advantages
- Combines biochemical data from Raman spectroscopy with tissue structure information from optical coherence tomography
- Provides real-time diagnostic information to the practitioner
- Reduces the frequency of invasive biopsies by identifying benign tumors
- Available for in-office diagnoses
- Can be developed into an image-based diagnosis system
Intellectual Property Status
US Utility Patent 7,508,524 has been issued
Vanderbilt Inventor Bio: Dr. Anita Mahadevan-Jansen
Link to Lab Webpage and Publications