Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a fiberoptic fluorescence scanner (FFS) based on the detection of photodynamic drugs for early cancer diagnosis. During Phase I of this projeCt, a FFS system was built and successfully demonstrated in-vitro with a great drug sensitivity (<.01 nanogram/gram. body weight) and tumor size resolution (<25 micromoles) by using photodynamic drugs. The FFS uses a specially designed bifurcated wide-angle fiber bundle, and is compact and cost effective. The fiber probe with excellent light collection efficiency could be inserted into a human body through the working channel of an endoscope to map the metastatic region. There is no interference between the drug fluorescence and background autofluorescence. This highly sensitive fiber optic sensor and imaging system could ultimately prove to be useful in operating rooms or outpatient facilities by enhancing the resolution and selectivity of existing minimally invasive diagnostic systems (flexible endoscopes, arthroscopes and laparoscopes). In Phase II, the system will be further optimized and investigated based on the in-vivo animal fluorescence tumor model. The sensitivity and specificity of this clinical version of cancer diagnostic system will be determined.
