Optisk ikke-invasiv vevsdiagnose

A new imaging concept, called Optical Transfer Diagnosis (OTD), has been developed for non-invasive diagnosis of skin cancer, based on illuminating a selected area of the skin tissue from various directions with light of different wavelengths, and detecti ng the reflected light emerging from the skin in different directions. The original goal of this R&D project was to further develop the OTD technology for use in cosmetic and forensic applications and for endoscopic applications in the diagnosis of cancer or other illnesses in tissue on surfaces inside human body cavities. The original R&D effort was planned to encompass development of (i) suitable instrumentation for endoscopic applications, (ii) forward models to compute reflected light from the tissue when the illumination and the optical properties of the tissue are known, (iii) development of bio-optical models that provide a link between optical properties and relevant physiological and morphological tissue characteristics, and (iv) tissue specific inverse models to determine optical properties and simultaneously relevant physiological and morphological tissue characteristics from measured reflectance data. So far in the project, significant advances have been obtained regarding items (ii)-(iv) abov e, and the activity in item (i) has been redirected to develop the next-generation OTD scanner for skin tissue examinations. For skin cancer applications, we have changed strategy from the development of an instrument and a method for use by dermatologist s to differentiate malignant and benign lesions in a population consisting of suspicious lesions to the development of an instrument and a method for use by primary care physicians to differentiate between suspicious lesions (of which biopsies must be tak en) and non-suspicious benign lesions (for which no further investigation is needed) in a population of lesions ('all comers') consistent with what a primary care physician will meet in her/his practice. New clinical investigations have been performed to collect data for further algorithm development in accordance with the new strategy, and significant new advances in algorithm performance have been achieved.

A novel diagnostic imaging concept [Optical Transfer Diagnosis (OTD)] is being developed for non-invasive diagnosis of skin cancer, and is in the process of being commercialized. The OTD technolgy is based on illuminating a selected area of tissue from se veral directions with light of several wavelengths and detecting the reflected light in several observation directions. The goal of this R&D project is to further develop the OTD technology for diagnosis of cancer or other serious illnesses on tissue surf aces inside the human body. The R&D effort encompasses development of forward models for calculation of reflected light from the tissue when the illumination and the optical properties of the tissue are known, development of bio-optical models that descri bes the connection between optical properties and relevant physiological and morphological parameters, development of tissue specific inverse methods for determining the optical properties of the tissue and thereby also the relevant physiologigal and morp hological parameters from measurements of the reflected light, development of diagnostic tools based on correlation between pathological results from biopsies and diagnostic results determined by the OTD technology, and clinical investigations, including biopsies to test and avaluate the OTD technology in practical use.