Detection of metastases in lymph nodes using quantitative ultrasound

 描述(由申请人提供)：本申请建议建立学术-产业合作伙伴关系(AIP)，主要合作伙伴包括纽约州纽约市的Riverside Research(RR)和纽约州尼斯卡尤纳的GE全球研究中心(GE)作为产业合作伙伴，以及附属于纽约州立大学石溪医学(SBM)的石溪医学(SBM)和附属于夏威夷大学(HI)火奴鲁鲁的Kuakini医学中心(KMC)作为临床/学术合作伙伴。拟议的项目解决了对可靠的、高度敏感的检测淋巴转移(LNS)的手段的需求，以便正确地对癌症进行分期和最佳治疗。因此，我们试图验证RR和KMC使用定量超声(QUS)方法检测淋巴结转移的现有令人鼓舞的结果，方法是应用和评估这些有希望的方法，使用数量大得多的淋巴结，并包括比迄今为止研究中可能的更多样化的患者群体的更广泛的癌症类型。验证工作将包括开发、部署和评估用于病理实验室中基于QUS的转移检测和成像的预原型超声波仪器。成功的验证将为将QUS方法转化为用于在病理实验室或可能在手术室使用的解剖的淋巴结转移检测的紧凑、低成本的工具奠定基础。成功的验证还将为随后的仪器奠定基础，该仪器可以在手术室中或术前在检查室中检测和成像结节转移。AIP合作伙伴将通过以下一般方式协同能力：RR将提供项目监督和协调，并将应用、改进和测试QUS方法；GE将通过设计、制造和表征预原型设备来提供超声(US)仪器；SBM和KMC将通过招募患者和从解剖的LN获取US和组织学数据来提供临床支持。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application proposes an Academic-Industrial Partnership (AIP) consisting of Riverside Research (RR) in New York, NY, as the primary partner in collaboration with the GE Global Research Center (GE) in Niskayuna, NY, as the industrial partner, and with the Stony Brook Medical (SBM) affiliated with the State University of New York in Stony Brook, NY, and the Kuakini Medical Center (KMC) affiliated with the University of Hawaii in Honolulu, HI, as the clinical/academic partners. The proposed project addresses the need for reliable, highly sensitive means of detecting metastases to lymph nodes (LNs) in order to correctly stage and optimally treat cancer. Accordingly, we seek to validate existing encouraging results obtained by RR and KMC using quantitative-ultrasound (QUS) methods for detecting metastases in LNs by applying and evaluating these promising methods using a far larger number of LNs and including a far broader range of cancer types from a more-diverse patient population than has been possible in studies to date. Validation efforts will include development, deployment and evaluation of a pre-prototype ultrasonic instrument for QUS-based detection and imaging of metastases in the pathology laboratory. Successful validation will establish a foundation for translation of the QUS methods into a compact, low-cost instrument for metastases detection in dissected LNs to be used in the pathology laboratory or possibly in the operating room. Successful validation also will establish the foundation for a subsequent instrument that can detect and image nodal metastases intra-operatively in the operating room or pre-operatively in the examination room. The AIP partners will synergize capabilities in the following general ways: RR will provide project oversight and coordination and will apply, refine, and test the QUS methods; GE will provide ultrasound (US) instrumentation by designing, fabricating, and characterizing a pre-prototype device; SBM and KMC will provide clinical support by recruiting patients and acquiring US and histological data from dissected LNs.