Developing Fibre Optic Raman Spectroscopy Probes for Cancer Diagnosis

癌症会影响我们一生中50%的人，其中25%的人会死于这种疾病。为了提供有效的治疗方案，需要早期准确的检测和诊断，然而，目前的方法往往对早期疾病或将发展为晚期癌症的疾病不够敏感。我们率先将拉曼光谱（RS）技术作为早期识别癌症的诊断工具。它利用光提供人体细胞、组织、生物流体的实时分析或生化指纹。在实验室中已经证明RS能够区分癌前、癌性和健康组织。在体内使用的早期原型纤维探针已经被开发和测试，用于中空器官分析的内窥镜，用于智能针的末端，以及用于近病人切除组织的评估。该项目将进一步开发用于护理点测试的拉曼探针，以最大限度地提高特定应用的性能。这可能涉及到与互补成像技术的耦合。我们计划构建一种智能针头，在针尖上提供实时的组织病理分子分析。我们将对组织样本进行基于实验室的离体拉曼分析，以优化探针的规格并使其适合用途。然后，我们将进行更先进的临床验证研究，并探索光谱诊断和预后标记。开发、构建和测试一种智能针装置，该装置能够使用细光纤拉曼针提供实时的、体内的恶性肿瘤识别。该设备将提供基于组织生物化学的即时结果，并允许快速的活检靶向或体内诊断方法。目的：1)用一次性针尖构建原型，能够测量人体组织中所需的特征，包括样本量和解剖访问要求。2)利用装置提供离体组织标本的信号。3)利用这些信号建立和测试诊断模型，并将结果与金标准组织病理学进行比较。4)评估探头在临床护理点的性能

Cancer will affect 50% of us in our lifetime and 25% of us will succumb to the disease. Early accurate detection and diagnosis is needed to provide the effective treatment regimes, however current methods are often insufficiently sensitive to early disease, or those that will progress to advanced cancers.We have pioneered the technique of Raman spectroscopy (RS) as a diagnostic tool for early identification of cancers. It utilises light to provide a real-time analysis or biochemical fingerprint of human cells, tissues, biofluids. It has been shown that RS is able to distinguish between pre-cancerous, cancerous and healthy tissue in the laboratory.Early prototype fibre probes for use in vivo have been developed and tested for use down an endoscope for hollow organ analysis, for use on the end of a smart needle and for near patient assessment of excised tissues. This project will further develop the Raman probes for point of care testing to maximise performance for specific applications of interest. This may involve coupling to complimentary imaging technologies.We plan to construct a smart needle to provide a real-time in vivo molecular analysis of tissue pathology at the tip of a needle. We will perform laboratory based ex vivo Raman analysis of tissue samples to optimise the specifications of the probe and make it fit for purpose. We will then undertake more advanced clinical validation studies and explore both spectral diagnostic and prognostic markers.To develop, build and test a smart needle device able to provide real-time, in vivo identification of malignancies using a fine fibre-optic Raman needle. The device will provide immediate results based on tissue biochemistry and allow for a rapid method for biopsy targeting or in vivo diagnosis.Aims:1) Build prototype with disposable needle tips able to measure required signatures in human tissues, to include sample volume and anatomical access requirements.2) Utilise device to provide signals from ex vivo tissue specimens.3) Build and test diagnostic models using these signals and compare results to gold standard histopathology.4) Evaluate probe performance in a clinical point of care setting