SIDE-VIEWING RAMAN OPTICAL FIBER PROBE FOR BIOMEDICAL SPECTROSCOPY

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. We are investigating the usage of Raman spectroscopy to guide stereotactic core needle biopsies of the breast for suspicious microcalcifications discovered at screening mammography. Microcalcifications are deposits of calcium mineral salts within breast tissue that mammographically localize the most clinically significant abnormality and are, therefore, a target for subsequent needle biopsy. Raman spectroscopy is exquisitely sensitive to the presence of calcium-containing minerals, and thus can be used to detect and localize microcalcifications in the breast. This can be done in vivo, in real-time, in a non-destructive manner, via optical fiber probes that are compatible with existing needle biopsy devices. The side-viewing Raman fiber optic probe provides capability of utilizing the excitation light from Raman source and delivering to and collecting the light from the breast tissue while the probe inserted into needle device. The probe is designed to fit into 9 gauge needle device most commonly used during stereotactic core needle biopsies. Similar to the front-viewing Raman probe that has been successfully used in the in vivo and ex vivo clinical studies, the side-viewing probe incorporate excitation and emission filters with coatings to suppress fiber background and enable efficient extraction of the Raman signal.