SBIR Phase I:Endoscopic Probe for Molecular Imaging and Diagnosis of Cancerous Prostate Pathologies

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to improve outcomes for patients with prostate cancer, which affects about one in eight men and is the second deadliest cancer among men. The current process for diagnosing prostate cancer is imprecise and commonly involves multiple rounds of increasingly invasive, uncomfortable, and expensive diagnostic tests. The medical technology proposed in this project will reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies and expensive magnetic resonance imaging tests (MRIs) performed to confirm diagnosis, and enable improved ongoing monitoring of suspected or recovered prostate cancer patients. The proposed device will help hospitals save valuable time and decrease overall costs of care. The device will be designed to address the specific needs of clinicians to accurately diagnose prostate cancer cases at an earlier point in the diagnostic workflow, at a lower cost to health systems. Additionally, the technology will be developed with a focus on cost effectiveness, to ensure increased prostate cancer diagnostic capabilities are accessible even in low-resource settings, such as rural communities and low- and middle-income countries.This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will result in a prototype of a new medical device that uses photoacoustic imaging (PAI) and novel acoustic lens technology to aid in detection and diagnosis of prostate cancer. Existing early testing options, such as digital rectal exams, prostate-specific antigen tests, and transrectal ultrasounds, are often inconclusive. The PAI endoscopic probe device proposed in this project will offer hospitals and clinicians a new method for visualizing potentially cancerous prostate tissues, with higher imaging contrast and resolution than existing diagnostics. It will also offer an alternative to other testing methods with known deficiencies that often result in misdiagnosis or missed cases.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.