IMAGING PROBE: LYMPH NODE IDENTIFICATION & LOCALIZATION

本提案的目的是开发一种手持式成像探针，用于前哨淋巴结（sln）的术前和术中定位。所提出的探针设计是一个小型闪烁相机，其固有空间分辨率约为1mm，物理视场为2cm × 2cm。该功能是在手术前或手术中成像140 keV伽马射线的分布。如果能够在手术前识别SLN，患者可以省去手术过程的浸润性淋巴结活检。探针的使用遵循淋巴闪烁成像，即用常规伽马相机动态跟踪放射性胶体到为病变组织服务的淋巴结盆地。盆腔的第一个淋巴结（SLN）是癌症是否扩散的一个强有力的指标，因此目的是对该淋巴结进行活检。该成像探头将是第一个用于手术室的设备，具有实时、精确和明确定位SLN的成像能力。成像探头的创新特征将是几个可互换的准直器，允许用户快速改变探头的视场、空间分辨率和伽马射线灵敏度。这种通用性对于这种应用非常重要，因为sln的尺寸和深度是可变的。该探头还将在非成像模式下工作，并满足现有非成像探头的性能标准，这些探头在该领域的应用正在增长。这里开发的设备的一个吸引人的特点是它的成本。它将以与目前可用的非成像探头相同的成本提供成像功能。拟议的商业应用：该项目将产生一种成像探针，在黑色素瘤和乳腺癌以及其他潜在肿瘤类型的分期期间，极大地促进前哨淋巴结的定位。在相同的成本下，成像探头比目前使用的非成像探头有很大的优势。哨兵节点闪烁成像的动态领域在接受度和范围上都在增长。许多医院常规使用淋巴显像，这种探针可以增强检查过程。这里开发的成像探头，在现有的非成像探头的基础上不需要额外的费用，将为医生提供一种功能更强大的仪器，可以更快、更远地进行前哨淋巴结技术。

The objective of this proposal is the development of a hand-held imaging probe for preoperative and intra operative localization of Sentinel Lymph Nodes (SLNs). The proposed probe design is a small scintillation camera with intrinsic spatial resolution of approximately 1 mm with a 2 cm x 2 cm physical field of view. The function is to image distributions of 140 keV gamma-rays either prior to surgery or during surgery. If capable of identifying the SLN prior to surgery the patient may be spared the surgical procedure of invasive lymph node biopsy. The use of the probe follows Lymphoscintigraphy whereby a radioactive colloid is followed dynamically with a conventional gamma camera to the lymph node basin that serves the diseased tissue. The first node in the basin (the SLN) is a strong indicator of whether the cancer has spread so the aim is to biopsy that node. The imaging probe will be the first device used in the operating room with imaging capabilities for real-time precise and unambiguous localization of the SLN. Among the innovative features of the imaging probe will be several interchangeable collimators that allow the user to rapidly change the field of view, spatial resolution and gamma-ray sensitivity of the probe. This versatility is important for this application as SLNs are of variable size and depth. The probe will also operate in non-imaging mode and meet the performance standards of existing non-imaging probes whose use in this field is growing. An attractive feature of the device developed here is its cost. It will offer imaging capability at the same cost of currently available non-imaging probes. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS: This project will result in an imaging probe to greatly facilitate the localization of the Sentinel Lymph Node during the staging of melanoma and breast cancer, among other potential tumor types. The imaging probe offers great advantages over the currently employed non-imaging probes at the same cost. The dynamic field of Sentinel Node Scintigraphy is growing in acceptance and scope. Many hospitals routinely use Lymphoscintigraphy and could enhance the procedure with this probe. The imaging probe developed here, at no extra cost to existing non-imaging probes, will provide physicians with a more functional instrument that can carry the Sentinel Node technique further and faster.