Inspired by the powerful eyes of the prawn mantis, a team of scientists coordinated by the University of Illinois has designed an imaging system able to distinguish between cancerous and healthy tissues during cancer surgery.
The system accurately labeled tumors in mice and visualized lymph nodes near tumors in 18 patients undergoing surgery for breast cancer. With further development, the camera could help surgeons remove marginal tumor tissues that may remain after unguided surgery, thereby It could reduce the risk of cancer relapse.
It is essential that surgeons remove as much tumor tissue as possible during surgery, but between 25% and 40% of patients continue to undergo incomplete tumor surgery for malignancies such as head and neck cancer. Digital cameras can help highlight cancerous tissue when combined with fluorescent molecules, but previous fluorescent imaging systems have not been widely adopted.
spectral camera and cancer surgery
Steven Blair and his colleagues combined technology and nature into a fluorescent platform inspired by the mantis shrimp, a marine crustacean with highly complex eyes that provide information of a density unmatched by any human-made spectral camera. To mimic the eye of the prawn mantis, they vertically stacked layers of silicon photodetectors and spectral filters on a single-chip system platform, capable of detecting multiple colors and near-infrared light through 6 channels.
The sensor successfully detected two fluorescent molecules in human prostate tumors in mice and distinguished cancerous tissue from healthy tissue in 92% of cases. The team also used their camera in the operating room to visualize 18 breast cancer patients and allowed surgeons to precisely trace the lymph nodes near the tumors.
The researchers note that the compact nature and low weight of its system allow it to be integrated into the operating room without slowing down the surgeon’s workflow.
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