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Endoscopic Comprehensive Optical Multimodal Molecular Intelligent Imaging

Descrizione del progetto

Una piattaforma di imaging endoscopico intelligente potrebbe trasformare la diagnosi medica

Le attuali tecniche di imaging ottico utilizzate in medicina presentano limiti nella profondità e nella velocità di penetrazione, perciò si finisce per fare affidamento su metodi non ottici come i raggi X, gli ultrasuoni e la risonanza magnetica. Il progetto ENCOMOLE-2i, finanziato dal CER, intende rivoluzionare l’imaging medico sviluppando una piattaforma endoscopica di imaging molecolare multimodale. La piattaforma proposta combinerà tre nuove modalità di imaging: tomografia a coerenza ottica ad alta velocità, rilevamento Raman stimolato codificato nel tempo e microscopia a due fotoni. Queste tecnologie consentiranno un «imaging intelligente», un termine che si riferisce all’acquisizione più efficiente dei dati. Concentrandosi sull’imaging gastrointestinale, la piattaforma endoscopica universale proposta da ENCOMOLE-2i potrebbe aprire la strada all’imaging ottico avanzato in vivo nella ricerca clinica e nella routine, migliorando in ultima analisi la diagnosi delle malattie.

Obiettivo

Optical imaging has exceptional potential for medical diagnosis, because it can provide high spatial resolution and molecular contrast. However, for in vivo imaging in humans, the poor penetration of only a few millimetres is a major obstacle. Optical endoscopes solve this problem, but currently most of them only perform non-advanced, classical white light imaging. Also, the speed of current devices is not sufficient to comprehensively scan entire organs at microscopic resolution. Hence, medical imaging is still dominated by non-optical techniques like X-ray, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging.
The objective of ENCOMOLE-2i is to push the performance of advanced optical in vivo imaging techniques to cross the application threshold for clinical research and practice. An endoscopic multi-modal molecular imaging platform will be developed with unprecedented capabilities for the diagnosis of disease.
The hardware technology development includes three novel imaging modalities. Optical coherence tomography with line rates of several Megahertz will be used for comprehensive structural imaging over large areas. Time encoded stimulated Raman sensing, supported by a new type of two photon microscopy, will be used for guided and referenced molecular imaging. Combining these techniques into one system and interfacing it with a newly developed endoscope will generate great synergy. Moreover, the unique synchronization capabilities of these modalities enable a radically new strategy for more efficient data acquisition: The concept of adaptive “Intelligent Imaging”.
The goal is to develop a universal endoscopy platform which can then be specifically tailored to the individual application. In the project the focus is on gastrointestinal imaging. The synergy between technological and algorithmic advances in ENCOMOLE-2i will break ground for more optical in vivo imaging in clinical research and routine, which can finally lead to improved diagnosis of many types of disease.

Meccanismo di finanziamento

ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant

Istituzione ospitante

UNIVERSITAET zu LUEBECK
Contribution nette de l'UE
€ 1 998 530,00
Indirizzo
RATZEBURGER ALLEE 160
23562 Lubeck
Germania

Mostra sulla mappa

Regione
Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein Lübeck, Kreisfreie Stadt
Tipo di attività
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Collegamenti
Costo totale
€ 1 998 530,00

Beneficiari (1)