IMAGING PROBE: LYMPH NODE IDENTIFICATION & LOCALIZATION

该方案的目的是开发一种手持式成像探头，用于前哨淋巴结(SLN)的术前和术中定位。探测器的设计是一个小型闪烁相机，其固有空间分辨率约为1 mm，物理视场为2 cm x 2 cm。该功能是在手术前或手术中对140keV伽马射线的分布进行成像。如果能够在手术前识别出SLN，患者可以省去侵入性淋巴结活检的手术步骤。该探头的使用遵循淋巴核素照相，即用传统的伽马相机动态跟踪放射性胶体到服务于病变组织的淋巴结盆。盆地中的第一个结节(SLN)是癌症是否扩散的有力指标，因此目的是对该结节进行活组织检查。该成像探头将是手术室使用的第一个设备，具有对SLN进行实时、精确和明确定位的成像能力。在成像探测器的创新功能中，将有几个可互换的准直器，允许用户快速改变探测器的视场、空间分辨率和伽马射线灵敏度。这种多功能性对这种应用很重要，因为SLN的大小和深度都是可变的。该探头还将在非成像模式下运行，并满足现有非成像探头的性能标准，现有非成像探头在该领域的使用正在增长。这里开发的设备的一个吸引人的特点是它的成本。它将提供成像能力，成本与目前可用的非成像探头相同。拟议的商业应用：该项目将产生一种成像探测器，在黑色素瘤和乳腺癌等潜在肿瘤类型的分期过程中，极大地促进前哨淋巴结的定位。成像探头在相同成本下提供了比目前使用的非成像探头更大的优势。哨兵节点闪烁成像的动态领域正在被越来越多的人接受，范围越来越广。许多医院经常使用淋巴核素扫描，并可以使用这种探头来增强检查程序。这里开发的成像探头，在不增加现有非成像探头的成本的情况下，将为医生提供功能更强大的仪器，可以更远、更快地携带哨兵节点技术。

The objective of this proposal is the development of a hand-held imaging probe for preoperative and intra operative localization of Sentinel Lymph Nodes (SLNs). The proposed probe design is a small scintillation camera with intrinsic spatial resolution of approximately 1 mm with a 2 cm x 2 cm physical field of view. The function is to image distributions of 140 keV gamma-rays either prior to surgery or during surgery. If capable of identifying the SLN prior to surgery the patient may be spared the surgical procedure of invasive lymph node biopsy. The use of the probe follows Lymphoscintigraphy whereby a radioactive colloid is followed dynamically with a conventional gamma camera to the lymph node basin that serves the diseased tissue. The first node in the basin (the SLN) is a strong indicator of whether the cancer has spread so the aim is to biopsy that node. The imaging probe will be the first device used in the operating room with imaging capabilities for real-time precise and unambiguous localization of the SLN. Among the innovative features of the imaging probe will be several interchangeable collimators that allow the user to rapidly change the field of view, spatial resolution and gamma-ray sensitivity of the probe. This versatility is important for this application as SLNs are of variable size and depth. The probe will also operate in non-imaging mode and meet the performance standards of existing non-imaging probes whose use in this field is growing. An attractive feature of the device developed here is its cost. It will offer imaging capability at the same cost of currently available non-imaging probes. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS: This project will result in an imaging probe to greatly facilitate the localization of the Sentinel Lymph Node during the staging of melanoma and breast cancer, among other potential tumor types. The imaging probe offers great advantages over the currently employed non-imaging probes at the same cost. The dynamic field of Sentinel Node Scintigraphy is growing in acceptance and scope. Many hospitals routinely use Lymphoscintigraphy and could enhance the procedure with this probe. The imaging probe developed here, at no extra cost to existing non-imaging probes, will provide physicians with a more functional instrument that can carry the Sentinel Node technique further and faster.