Translation of a portable diffuse optical breast scanner probe for clinical application: a preliminary study

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Medical Imaging
• Cancer Diagnostics

Background:

• Breast cancer lesions exhibit increased vascularity, leading to higher absorption of near-infrared (NIR) radiation.
• Oxy-hemoglobin and deoxy-hemoglobin in cancerous tissue absorb NIR light (650-850 nm) more than surrounding breast tissue.
• NIR diffuse optical spectroscopy (DOS) offers real-time functional and compositional information non-invasively.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the first clinical trials of a non-invasive, hand-held diffuse optical breast scanner (DOB-Scan probe).
• To evaluate the DOB-Scan probe's ability to capture in vivo cross-sectional images of breast tissue.
• To assess the potential of DOB-Scan for early breast cancer detection.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a DOB-Scan probe with four NIR wavelengths (690, 750, 800, 850 nm).
• Determined concentrations of oxy-hemoglobin, deoxy-hemoglobin, water, and fat in breast tissue.
• Collected data from four breast cancer patients, comparing scans of cancerous lesions with contralateral healthy tissue.

Main Results:

• Reconstructed four cross-sectional images per scan corresponding to the four NIR wavelengths.
• Confirmed significantly higher absorption coefficients in cancerous lesions compared to normal surrounding tissue.
• Demonstrated the feasibility of capturing in vivo breast images with the DOB-Scan probe.

Conclusions:

• The DOB-Scan probe successfully differentiates cancerous breast tissue from healthy tissue based on NIR absorption.
• This technology holds potential for early-stage breast cancer identification in primary care.
• Deployment of the DOB-Scan probe could enhance the efficiency of breast cancer screening programs.