This Innovation Corps project proposes technology that will develop a functional handheld prototype to be used in animal studies and in clinical trials for photodynamic therapy (PDT) of pre-cancers of the skin. The bench prototype will address a large area (2 cm x 2 cm) prototype that responds to clinical needs. The PI and her team anticipate that the breakthrough in the illumination delivery offered by the prototype device will enable a targeted treatment of pre-cancerous conditions of the skin with PDT in a dermatology office. The treatment to be offered will be complementary to the current FDA approved treatment for AK that consists of illuminating the whole anatomic area. In addition, the dosimetry calculations of PDT will critically benefit from the known illumination provided. PDT, a minimally invasive procedure, will be a key to lowering the cost of healthcare; by promoting a more effective treatment, increasing patient compliance (which is key to lowering healthcare cost) for early screening and early treatment.
If successful, the proposed technology will improve the current skin PDT treatment by making it more effective, ultimately reducing the number of patient visits needed. For oral cancer, the proposed optical devices will make the treatment cheaper, faster, minimally invasive and more comfortable for the patient, by targeting light to the lesion and not requiring any shielding procedure.
Taking part in the I-Corps program has broadened our understanding of the commercialization process, and provided a framework to analyze potential commercial opportunities. By formulating hypotheses and testing them on real customers, we can better navigate the wide range of opportunities and identify the most promising ones. The mechanism of bringing back to the lab the feedback obtained from potential customers is extremely valuable, and has changed the way we approach research. Instead of developing a state-of-the-art technology and only searching for an application for which it may be used after most of the design decisions are set, if the research starts from a market need the process will be much more focused and productive. In parallel to the business development, the team also advanced the fundamental research in illumination design for freeform reflectors. In this field, significant advances were made in developing some basic tools for optical designers needed to improve the speed and efficiency of the generation of freeform reflective surfaces. A compact and efficient illuminator for use in biomedical applications was designed, prototyped and demonstrated. Also an imaging probe for subsurface illumination and imaging was further advanced. Two undergraduate students received training, one in optical software for streetlight design to explore the design space for future applications based on LED light sources, another on optical imaging. Jannick Rolland (PI) and Cristina Canavesi (EL) co-founded LighTopTech Corp. on May 17, 2013, a Delaware corporation. LighTopTech submitted a Phase I STTR to NSF in June 2013 (pending).
