Title: Widefield fluorescence and narrowband reflectance imaging for cancer detection.

Agency: National Institutes of Health

PI: Rebecca Richards-Kortum

Co-PI: Dr. Ann Gillenwater

Abstract: The goal of this project is to develop instrumentation and analysis methods for widefield screening and delineation of precancerous and cancerous lesions in the oral cavity, skin, and esophagus.  Widefield optical imaging has the ability to reveal morphological and biochemical information relevant to malignant transformation and may aid in screening and surgical resection of cancer. Fluorescence imaging at specific excitations can reveal locations where extracellular matrix components have been degraded.  Reflectance and polarized imaging provide a simple means to probe varying tissue depths and may help visualize new blood vessel growth. We have designed and constructed a widefield microscope with fluorescence, reflectance, and polarized reflectance imaging capabilities for the detection of oral cancer and skin cancers of the head and neck.  This device is being tested in several clinical trials at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.  Images data has reveled significant differences in contrast between abnormal and normal tissue regions.  A classification algorithm was created using features such as pixel ratios, texture metrics, and spatial frequency information from imaging data.  A visualization technique was developed which maps the probability of disease, obtained from the classification algorithm, onto images of tissue.  This type of analysis promises to aid physicians during tissue resection and screening of cancer.  Miniaturized versions of this widefield system are being designed and tested.

Figure 6c

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