3D Prostate Cancer Imaging Based on "Crawling Wave" Excitation

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Accurate detection of prostate cancer is an urgent priority, since it is the most prevalent cancer in men and is the second most frequent cause of cancer deaths in adult males. Image-guided biopsy, brachytherapy, ablation, and volume assessment all benefit from major improvements in prostate cancer imaging. This project combines the expertise of three institutions, the University of Rochester (UR), General Electric Global Research (GE), and Renssalear Polytechnic Institute (RPI), to create and assess a novel 3D imaging scanner applied to prostate cancer. The imaging is based on the newly discovered phenomenon of crawling waves, which are a set of interfering shear waves that can be visualized in real time using Doppler spectral techniques. The local behavior of the crawling waves is strongly linked to the biomechanical properties of the local tissue, and therefore depends on the state of the cellular and intracellular matrix. Previous studies have convincingly demonstrated that there is a large biomechanical contrast between many prostate cancers and surrounding non-cancerous tissue; and that this contrast can be imaged by a variety of elastographic imaging techniques. The phenomenon of crawling waves along with in situ excitation and advanced estimator techniques now makes it possible to take real-time imaging of biomechanical properties to a new level of quantitative accuracy, at better resolution than was previously possible. The overall conduct of the grant and clinical application of the new technology are overseen by Deborah J. Rubens, M.D., as the PI. Kevin J. Parker, Lead Investigator, is responsible for the coordination and integration of the technology from the three institutions (UR, GE, RPI) such that milestones are achieved and a working clinical instrument is available for evaluation of human prostates. Kai Thomenius, Lead Investigator, leads the GE effort in creating the working scanner, and Joyce McLaughlin, Lead Investigator, leads the RPI effort in developing the advanced quantitative analysis with resulting images. Successful development of the novel 3D crawling wave imaging technology will be readily applicable to ultrasound scanners and therefore can be widely disseminated.