Real-Time Fluorescence Lifetime Tracking

Tech ID: 24902 / UC Case 2015-065-0

Abstract

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a novel technique for continuous acquisition, processing, and display of fluorescence lifetimes. This technique allows for rapid and non-invasive real-time tissue diagnosis through a single hand-held or biopsy fiber-optic probe.

Full Description

Conventional imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) provide surgeons with a great deal of information about a tumor’s anatomy but cannot distinguish between cancerous and non-cancerous cells. Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy (TRFS) has shown promise in the imaging of biopsies of brain tumor, oral carcinoma, and atherosclerosis but currently requires a minimum of several seconds (and up to a few minutes) of off-line fluorescence decay analysis due to the large number of data points collected. While such an approach show-cases the potential of TRFS, it also presents a hurdle which prevents TRFS from being used as a real-time tissue diagnostic tool.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a novel technique for continuous acquisition, processing, and display of fluorescence lifetimes. This technique allows for rapid and non-invasive real-time tissue diagnosis through a single hand held or biopsy fiber-optic probe. TRFS has been found to be less sensitive to the presence of endogenous absorbers (such as blood) or changes in light excitation collection.

Applications

  • Tissue characterization
  • Diagnosis in: Ophthalmology, cardiology, and oncology

Features/Benefits

  • Real-time analysis
  • Rapid and non-invasive real-time tissue diagnosis
  • Continuous acquisition, processing, and display
  • Single hand held or biopsy fiber-optic probe
  • Less sensitive to the presence of endogenous absorbers

Patent Status

Country Type Number Dated Case
United States Of America Issued Patent 10,422,749 09/24/2019 2015-065
Patent Cooperation Treaty Published Application 2016/118925 07/28/2016 2015-065
 

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Inventors

  • Bec, Julien
  • Ma, Dinglong
  • Marcu, Laura
  • Yankelevich, Diego R.

Other Information

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