Optical probe for in situ assessment of pulmonary fibrosis

项目总结/摘要 物理科学公司(PSI)与马萨诸塞州病理学系合作， 综合医院（MGH）以及MGH和Beth Israel的肺部和重症监护医学部 Lahey Health（BILH）提出开发和评估一种用于评估肺纤维化的新技术， 这是一种导致严重呼吸问题的呼吸道疾病。这种疾病是由 肺内过量的纤维结缔组织（这个过程称为纤维化），导致肺组织增厚。 细支气管的壁，从而导致血液中氧气供应减少。因此，患者 患有永久性呼吸短促。肺纤维化通常在常规医生办公室诊断 通过听诊器听，并通过X线和CT扫描进行确认。但由于 误诊是常见的，最终进行活检以确认结果。不幸的是， 需要组织来评估纤维化的存在。因此，视频辅助胸腔镜楔形活检 （VATS）用于此目的。这个过程有多种副作用，包括炎症，组织 发病率和严重出血。此外，由于它需要组织处理和病理解释， 程序变得昂贵，而结果不能立即得到。 PSI提出的常规VATS楔形切除术的替代方法是研究组织形态 和机械性能的原位测试， 不需要切除任何组织此外，在活检期间可立即获得结果。 这项技术将首先在第一阶段进行测试， 肺纤维化 大鼠模型，以确定 其有效性为可靠的诊断。根据第一阶段的研究结果，该技术将在 II期及其疗效将在MGH和BILH的人类患者中进一步测试。成功发展 所提出的PSI技术的示范将能够以较低的成本实现可靠的改进诊断， 消除了常规活检的副作用。

Project Summary/Abstract Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI), in collaboration with the Department of Pathology at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the Divisions of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at MGH and Beth Israel Lahey Health (BILH), proposes to develop and evaluate a novel technology for assessing pulmonary fibrosis, which is a respiratory disease leading to serious breathing problems. This disease consists of the accumulation of excess fibrous connective tissue within the lungs (this process is called fibrosis), leading to thickening of the walls of the bronchioles, and thus causes reduced oxygen supply in the blood. As a consequence patients suffer from perpetual shortness of breath. Pulmonary fibrosis is usually diagnosed during regular doctor office visits, by listening with the stethoscope, and confirmed with X-rays and CT scanning. However, since misdiagnosis is common, biopsy is ultimately performed to confirm findings. Unfortunately, large pieces of tissue are needed to evaluate the presence of fibrosis. Therefore, video assisted thoracoscopic wedge biopsy (VATS) is used for this purpose. This procedure has multiple side effects, including inflammation, tissue morbidity, and severe bleeding. Furthermore, since it requires tissue processing and pathologic interpretation, the procedure becomes expensive, while the results are not immediately available. PSI's proposed alternative approach to regular VATS wedge resections is to investigate tissue morphology and mechanical properties in situ by using a minimally invasive needle-type smart optical probe, which eliminates the need to remove any tissue. Furthermore, the results are immediately available during biopsy. This technology will be first tested In Phase I in a Bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis rat model to determine its efficacy for reliable diagnosis. Based on Phase I findings, the technology will be further improved during Phase II and its efficacy will be further tested in human patients at MGH and BILH. Successful development and demonstration of the proposed PSI technology will enable reliable improved diagnosis at lower costs while eliminating side effects associated to the regular biopsy.