Label-free tissue scanner for colorectal cancer screening

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Digital Pathology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Current surgical pathology relies on qualitative, subjective assessments of stained tissues.
• External contrast agents and staining introduce variability and limit objectivity.
• There is a need for quantitative, automated methods in pathology for improved diagnostic accuracy and efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a label-free tissue imaging approach for quantitative pathology.
• To enable automated diagnosis and improve the efficiency of pathology workflows.
• To establish an intrinsic marker for detecting colorectal disease.

Main Methods:

• Developed a label-free tissue scanner using quantitative phase imaging (QPI).
• QPI maps optical path length, providing nanoscale sensitivity to tissue architecture.
• Paired the imaging system with parallelized software for high-throughput data acquisition and analysis.

Main Results:

• Achieved nanoscale sensitivity to morphology with throughput comparable to commercial scanners.
• Optical path length measurements are intrinsically quantitative and reproducible across sites.
• Developed an intrinsic marker for detecting colorectal dysplasia and cancer.

Conclusions:

• Quantitative phase imaging offers a label-free, quantitative approach to pathology.
• This technology enables automated diagnosis and has potential for large-volume screening.
• The developed intrinsic marker can improve efficiency in colorectal disease detection.