Anuradha Godavarty

Abstract

Chronic wounds are on the rise due to aging population, diabetes, obesity, and late effects of radiation therapy. Among the major chronic wounds are lower extremity ulcers (diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) and venous leg ulcers (VLUs)), apart from pressure and arterial ulcers. Initial management of lower extremity ulcers begins with effective clinical assessment of the wound, diagnostic imaging using duplex ultrasound (to assess vascularity, or extent of blood flow), followed by basic and/or advanced treatments (or therapies) for enhancing effective and rapid wound healing. Healing rate is assessed by wound size measurement and visual assessment for surface epithelization. If treatment extends beyond 4 weeks, re-evaluation of wound and advanced treatment options are considered. While currently available diagnostic tools help direct the treatment approach and assess vascularity (i.e., oxygen-rich blood flow), there is no prognostic imaging tool in the clinic to assess improvement in blood oxygenation and simultaneously take spatial measurements of a target wound.FIU researchers have developed systems and methods for scanning near infrared (NIR) and visible light images and creating co-registered images. The system can be used to measure a target issue or wound, detect hemodynamic signals, and combine the visible light image and a hemodynamic image to create a single image. The technology allows for scanning near infrared (NIR) and visible light images of targeted wounds through non-invasive, non-contact, prognostic imaging tools that provide mapping changes in blood oxygenation of the wound region and obtaining wound size measurements and/or measurements of chosen regions of interest. The process is non-contact with real-time NIR imaging of the entire wound region in less than or equal to one second. It also allows generating a map of blood oxygenation changes in small and large tissues or wounds to provide separate healing indicators in a single co-registered image.

Benefit

· Non-invasive, real-time NIR imaging in less than or one second. · Portable and hand-held. · Obtain wound size measurements through automated wound boundary demarcation, and map blood oxygenation changes in small and large tissues or wounds.

Market Application

Wound management

Abstract

Diffuse optical imaging of Near-infrared (NIR) optical imaging is a developing non-invasive technology that can be used for deep tissue imaging. Current NIR technologies are large and bulky, generally not portable, can cause discomfort to the patient, and are limited to imaging of fixed volumes. Althouugh there has been some advancement with hand-held probe-based optical imaging systems, the current ones utilize contact imaging, making it impractical for many applications. Further, many technologies requires multiple probes and are not capable of performing both trans-illumination and reflective imaging. FIU reserachers have developed s system to acquire data to create a 3D mesh representation of a 3D object. The acquisition of the data is done through an imaging probe that has trans-illumination and reflective imaging capability. A light source is used to illuminate the object for trans-illumination and/or reflection imaging which is detected by a detection assembly. The image data collected is processed with a previously acquired 3D mesh by using data from a tracking system monitoring the position of the probe. The image can then be played in real-time and offers the option of being saved.

Benefit

· Hand-held, light-weight, portable, and less expensive image technology · Non-contact system · Trans-illumination and reflective imaging capability · The technology is applicable to locate and identify physiological changes to identify the location or existence of tumors.

Market Application

Helpful in identifying the location or existence of tumors.Useful in deep tissue imaging such a breast cancer diagnosis

Abstract

Florida International University (FIU) is seeking a business partner to develop and commercialize a portable Handheld Near-infrared Optical Imager. Existing diagnostic imaging techniques of breast cancer include X-ray mammography, computer tomography, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, and nuclear imaging. These conventional techniques may be limited by poor resolution, use of harmful ionizing radiation, lack of portability, and/or inexpensive instrumentation. Hand-held based optical imaging systems have been developed in recent years for clinical applications of the imaging technology. Although these systems represent an alternative to the conventional bulky optical imaging systems, they may be limited by having only flat measuring probe heads that cannot conform to different tissue curvatures and may not be capable of performing three-dimensional tomographic studies. FIU technology allows creating a 3D mesh representing a 3D object using two probes of an imaging system. The flexible probes conform to the shape of the 3D object, illuminate the object at a face of each probe head, and receive the light reflected from and/or transmitted through the 3D object at the surface of the object using a detection system. The reflectance and transillumination image data collected by the detection system are co-registered with the previously acquired 3D mesh using data from a tracking system monitoring the position of each probe, displayed in real-time.

Benefit

Hand-held based imager that can perform 3D tumor localizationCo-registration facilitiesNon-invasivePortable

Market Application

Tissue imagingTumor diagnostics

Abstract

Florida International University (FIU) is seeking a business partner to develop and commercialize a Near Infrared Optical Scanner used for hemodynamic imaging, pulse monitoring, and mapping spatio-temporal features. For patients suffering from a variety of injuries or disease states such as ulcers, wounds caused by amputations, ischemia, peripheral vascular diseases, etc., monitoring a patient’s pulse and/or blood flow at or near an afflicted area may provide valuable insight for clinicians. Traditionally, Pulse oximeters are used for obtaining pulse at finger/top tips and are not able to monitor pulse at the site of blood flow constrictions or regions of wound/ulcers. They do not provide any information regarding a patient’s blood flow or spatio-temporal features. Although, there are optical devices that measure the hemodynamics of a given region, the scanner developed at FIU can non-invasively provide hemodynamic changes over large tissues, as well as monitor pulse at every point in the imaged region; making it a visual oximeter. The scanner can extract spatio-temporal features that can differentiate different types of tissues in the imaged regions. The technology also allows to extract other tissue information (aside from hemodynamic information) if wavelengths other than those related to hemodynamic information are selected for illumination of a tissue region.

Benefit

Monitors hemodynamic changes along with pulse of diseased tissues or tissues with blood flow changesHighly sensitiveNon-invasivePortable

Market Application

Wound healingMonitoring ulcer treatmentsAssist in sports injuries, ischemia, peripheral vascular diseases

Abstract

Breast cancer affects one in every seven women and is the second largest cause of death in women in the United States. Early diagnosis of the disease is critically important in reducing breast cancer mortality rates. Optical imaging is an emerging tool that offers non-invasive, non-ionizing, inexpensive method for providing optical contrast between disease and normal tissues. Specifically, the minimal absorption of the near-infrared optical signals makes them attractive towards deep tissue imaging applications.The Optical Imaging Laboratory of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Florida International University is currently developing a novel hand-held based optical imager with capabilities of automated co-registration on any tissue volume and curvature for real time surface imaging. Furthermore, the implementation of user-friendly coregistration software provides a method for performing 3D tomography studies using the hand-held device. The unique features of the handheld probe design are its ability to simultaneously illuminate the tissue phantom at multiple point locations, flex the probe into any tissue shape, image a wide range of tissue volumes, and automatically locate and track the 3D location of the probe on any given tissue with precision.Development of this hand-held based optical imaging system will expedite in translating the technology from individual efforts of various research groups to a more standardized tool towards initial diagnostic studies in breast cancer. The hand-held probe can be used for optical imaging studies that both use and do not use external molecular markers. Additionally, the probe can easily adapt to other imaging applications, with least changes to the design. Many versions of handheld optical probes have been developed to date, but the present invention is the first hand-held optical imaging system that not only performs 3D real-time imaging of curved tissue geometries, but can also provide 3D depth information by implementing 3D tomographic analysis to the obtained time-dependent reflectance and trans-illumination measurements. The imaging tool can be the first of its kind to be available in the clinical radiology setting to be used as a diagnostic tool towards looking below the skin, for applications not limited to cancer diagnosis, but any kind of body imaging, and at various stages of disease or abnormalities.

Benefit

Non-invasivePortableFlexible imaging of tissue curvaturesSimultaneous illumination and detection Coregistration facilities

Market Application

Reduction in imaging time Portability and flexibility to image any tissue volume, shape, and sizeHand-held based imager that can perform 3D tumor localization

Abstract

Zika virus, a mosquito-borne pathogen, has been linked to occurrences of microcephaly when the virus is passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus. Currently, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) are two major laboratory methods available for detecting Zika virus (ZIKV). These methods can be used to detect the virus, for example, within 3-10 days following the onset of symptoms. However, the ELISA test adopted for detecting Zika virus has limitations due to cross reactivity of the antibodies with other species of the Flavivirus genus such as, for example, dengue virus. In addition, ELISA is cumbersome for healthcare workers to carry and utilize. Because these methods are typically carried out in laboratories only, the turn-around time for confirmed laboratory diagnostics results can take up to days, causing significant delays in diagnosis and treatment. Furthermore, these test methods are unable to detect Zika virus at low detection limits, which can result in misidentification of the viral infection at an early stage.FIU inventors have developed methods for the detection of zika virus at low level with micro-electrochemical ZIKV immunosensors functionalized with Zika virus binding ligands such as monoclonal Zika virus antibodies and Zika non-structural proteins. These methods include contacting the immunosensing substrate with a biological sample, applying a frequency to the sensing device, monitoring changes in resistance response of the sensing device as Zika virus or Zika virus-infected cells bind with their binding ligands; and finally, quantifying the amount of ZIKV by comparing the measured resistance response with a pre-determined calibration curve. These methods allow for a rapid (operation time around 40 minutes) and selective detection of ZIKV in wide concentration range with a low detection limit (10 pM).

Benefit

Suitable for use in clinical and field settings Enable early diagnosis of zika virus infection Allow for a sensitive, and selective detection of zika virus within 40 minutes Determine treatment effectiveness

Market Application

Diagnostic screening for zika virus infection at early stage Assessment of diseases progression and therapy efficacy