Scanning micro-cantilever based catheter for in vivo imaging

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Bronchoscopes are thin and long instruments that are inserted through either the nose or mouth and used to visualize the airways. Bronchoscopes generally consist of a hollow tube housing a fiber optic system that transmits an image from the tip of the instrument to a video camera at the opposite end. This project proposes to develop an ultra-miniaturized catheter in order to access and visualise the smallest lung airways without the need of open surgery. This project arises from novel technology that has been developed by the applicants. The research will focus on developing the ultra-miniaturized catheter and assessing its performance using an animal model. The proposed research has the potential to greatly reduce health care costs and losses in productivity due to lung diseases through early and accurate diagnosis and subsequent treatment. A large population will potentially benefit from the proposed technology. With regards to lung cancer, Canadian Cancer Statistics 2012 reports that over one-quarter (27%) of all cancer deaths were attributed to lung cancer. In 2012, 25,600 Canadians were estimated to be diagnosed with lung cancer. Collaboration is essential to the success of the project and the research team brings together engineers, medical scientists and doctors, and the medical device industry. The BC Cancer Agency will be a key partner in this project, providing guidance during the development of the technology to ensure the design is appropriate for widespread clinical use. An industrial partner, Novadaq, will provide the market and commercialization perspective and will adopt the resulting technology. Knowledge transfer and cross-fertilization will occur naturally due to the need for close collaboration through both the design and test phases. All partners will participate in the interdisciplinary training of students. The high-tech, interdisciplinary project represents an outstanding research opportunity for graduate trainees in Canada.