SBIR Phase I:A novel label-free imaging device for real-time detection of lymph nodes during laparoscopic cancer surgeries

The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to enable surgeons to see lymph nodes directly during cancer surgeries to (1) improve the quality-of-care for lung cancer, rectal cancer, and some gynecological cancers; and (2) save costs for hospitals by accelerating a time-consuming and potentially inaccurate step in cancer surgeries; (3) improve hospital accreditation performance, since lymph node number is a quality metric and many hospitals fail to meet the requirements stipulated by medical authorities. Decades of clinical evidence have shown evaluating lymph nodes is linked to higher survival rates for cancer patients. This project will develop a device to be seamlessly integrated into the existing surgical protocols and used as an accessory to existing laparoscopic towers and surgical robots. Any cancer hospital will be able to purchase this device, attach it to their existing towers or surgical robots, and improve their quality of care, surgery efficiency, and accreditation performance immediately at an affordable price.The proposed project addresses a difficult and common problem in surgical oncology – finding lymph nodes in cancer surgeries. Lymph nodes are critically important in the context of cancer because they are the channels for cancers to spread. However, lymph nodes are translucent in color and surrounded by fat, also translucent, making it difficult to find them with current optical systems. This project aims to develop a label-free optical imaging device to visualize lymph nodes with high contrast in real time without any injection. The goals of this project are to (1) build an accessory device attachable to a commercially available laparoscopic tower, (2) obtain optical performance testing results from animal carcasses, and (3) obtain optical performance testing results from cadaver specimens.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.