Near-infrared oximetry of breast tumors

描述（由申请人提供）： 近红外乳房X光检查是一种安全、无痛的乳房成像技术，对乳房内的血红蛋白浓度和氧合作用本质上敏感。这种功能成像技术用于检测乳腺癌的潜力已经探索了几十年，只有部分成功。主要的限制是由以前的光学乳房X线摄影方法提供的氧合信息的定性性质。本申请的广泛目标是开发一种用于功能性乳腺成像的新光学工具，其目的是在定量测量其氧合水平的基础上区分良性和恶性乳腺病变。在本提案的R21阶段，我们打算通过实验证明光学乳腺X射线摄影新光谱方法的可行性和潜在有效性。为此，我们计划在乳房状模型上进行实验测试，以模拟乳房病变内血红蛋白氧饱和度的定量测量。所提出的方法是基于我们对乳腺肿瘤的稳健氧合测量的追求，该测量对肿瘤的形状、大小和深度的高变异性不敏感。该提议背后的基本假设是，在两个最佳波长处的光学测量可以提供对肿瘤氧合的准确测量，所述两个最佳波长是使用新的数据分析方案在680- 880 nm光谱带内识别的。在R33阶段，我们将把提出的光谱方法应用到适用于人类受试者的乳腺成像实用仪器中。该仪器将通过轻微压缩的乳房以光学传输模式工作，并将通过照明和收集光纤的平面串联扫描来测量乳房的二维投影图像。在安全性和技术性能的初步测试之后，我们将对人类受试者进行试点研究，以调查我们提出的光谱方法的实际有效性。特别是，我们将评估其在检测和区分良性和恶性乳腺肿瘤的氧合水平的基础上的潜力。我们提出的光学乳腺X射线摄影方法有可能提高目前光学仪器的特异性和灵敏度，并可能在乳腺癌检测领域开辟新的机会。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Near-infrared mammography is a safe and painless breast imaging technique that is inherently sensitive to the hemoglobin concentration and oxygenation within the breast. The potential of this functional imaging technique for the detection of breast cancer has been explored for many decades with only partial success. The major limitation has been the qualitative nature of the oxygenation information provided by previous approaches to optical mammography. The broad objective of this application is to develop a new optical tool for functional breast imaging, which is aimed at discriminating benign and malignant breast lesions on the basis of a quantitative measurement of their oxygenation level. In the R21 Phase of this proposal, we intend to experimentally demonstrate the feasibility and the potential effectiveness of a novel spectral approach to optical mammography. To this aim, we plan to perform experimental tests on breast-like phantoms to simulate a quantitative measurement of the oxygen saturation of hemoglobin within breast lesions. The proposed approach is based on our quest for a robust oxygenation measurement of breast tumors that is insensitive to the high variability in the shape, size, and depth of the tumors. The basic hypothesis behind this proposal is that optical measurements at two optimal wavelengths, which are identified within the 680- 880 nm spectral band using a novel scheme of data analysis, can provide an accurate measurement of the tumor oxygenation. In the R33 Phase, we will implement the proposed spectral method into a practical instrument for breast imaging that is applicable to human subjects. This instrument will work in an optical transmission mode through the slightly compressed breast, and will measure two-dimensional projection images of the breast by means of a planar tandem scan of the illumination and collection optical fibers. Following preliminary tests of safety and technical performance, we will carry out a pilot study on human subjects to investigate the practical effectiveness of our proposed spectral approach. In particular, we will assess its potential in the detection and discrimination of benign and malignant breast tumors on the basis of their oxygenation levels. Our proposed approach to optical mammography has the potential to improve both the specificity and the sensitivity of current optical instruments, and it may open new opportunities in the area of breast cancer detection.