COMBINED RAMAN &FLUORESCENCE METHODS FOR BREAST CANCER DETECTION &IMAGING

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Cambridge MA

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Abstract

We are developing two optical methods based on near infrared Raman spectroscopy and fluorescence photon migration for breast cancer diagnosis and imaging. Raman spectroscopy, an in situ technique for histochemical analysis, can be implemented via a fiber optic needle probe inserted into breast as part of needle aspiration or core biopsy. Fluorescence photon migration is being developed as an optical tomographic technique for localizing lesions. We envision that the two techniques can be integrated, with fluorescence imaging first to used to localize a suspicious lesion, and Raman information, obtained by passing a fiber optic probe through a biopsy needle, then used for accurate diagnosis. In the current year, we demonstrated the ability of Raman to classify accurately normal, benign, and malignant tissues by utilizing 830 nm light. We also showed that photon migration imaging can be used to localize accurately small fluorescent objects imbedded in a thick trubid m edium with realistic optical properties, thus demonstrating the potential of this technique for optical imaging.