Project Consortium

CO - INFLPR

 

National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics

P1 - INOE 2000

 

National Institute for Research and Developement in Optoelectronics

P2 - WING

 

Wing Computer Group S.R.L

P3 - "Carol Davila" UMF

Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy

 

Objectives

 

The theoretical and experimental studies we shall conduct in this project are oriented mainly towards the construction of the combined HF-DOT device, together with the optimisation of the optical path, the elaboration of the new reconstruction software and carrying into effect the clinical tests, both in vitro and in vivo.

The studies will concentrate on several objectives:

• maximization of the spatial resolution;

• increase of recognition probability of the malign lesions based on metabolic tissue pathology;

• development of complex reconstruction imaging protocols for lesion nature identification;

• comparative study by various clinical methods and protocols (CT, MRI, X-ray).10/44

• study to induce stress processes on cancer tumors (heat or cooling stress, radiation, etc.) to determine some tumor markers to highlight pathological features.

Achieving the proposed goals requires solving several critical tasks that will be lifted by carrying out the project:

*Instrumentation: a) Adapting the optical configuration for dual function DOT and HF; b) Designing the system to provide/ acquire large data sets for full 3D reconstruction;

*Investigation protocol: controlling the scan time per measurement (speed vs. sharpness);

*Reconstruction algorithms: a) Solving photon diffusion equation based on a nonlinear optimization algorithm. New correlation algorithm for tumor recognition: by correlating the DOT reconstructed parameters with the HF physiological signatures of tumors (for example, optically measured Hbt can be correlated with microvessel density measured by histopathology, and μ's can be correlated with the cellular volume fraction and its mean size which differs from a healthy tissue to a tumor);b) Embedding in the algorithm the functional background of the patients and corrections for age-dependent physiological effects.

*Biological and clinical data base:

a) 3D images of chromophores and optical properties: by measuring oxy-hemoglobin (HbO2), deoxy-hemoglobin (Hb), total hemoglobin concentration (Hbt), blood oxygen saturation (StO2) and reduced scattering coefficient (μ's);

b) Fluorescence spectra of the tissue intrinsic fluorophores (Hb, HbO2 and beta-carotene);

c) Discriminating criteria for the benign/malign nature of the tissues.

 

 

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