Endoscope could scan for bladder cancer instantly

Clinicians struggle to create accurate, detailed images inside the bladder to screen for bladder cancer because white light cannot penetrate deep into the tissue, leading to blurred or dark images. Recognizing this, a European photonics research team is developing a new endoscope that uses multiwavelength lasers to scan for the early signs of bladder cancer. The device will provide instant, noninvasive, precise, and detailed information to determine what stage and grade that a tumor has reached and provide early diagnosis.

Currently, tests for bladder cancer involve urinalysis, urine cytology, or urine tests for tumor markers. While all of these tests can find cancerous cells in the urine, they do not catch the disease in its early stages and sometimes the tests can miss biomarkers altogether. The new system in development through the Advanced Multimodal Photonics Laser Imaging Tool for Urothelial Diagnosis in Endoscopy (AMPLITUDE) project uses multiwavelength lasers to create an image from deep inside the tissue to give a quick and accurate diagnosis of the presence of a tumor, as well as its stage and grade.

The AMPLITUDE project is combining medical and physics expertise to develop a new multimodal imaging system complete with an endoscopic probe that delivers an instant diagnosis in a clinical setting.

“The multimodal imaging approach in AMPLITUDE is based on three modalities, which together will provide precise and detailed information necessary to determine the tumor stage and grade,” explains project coordinator Regina Gumenyuk. “The system being developed by AMPLITUDE will be the first device to deliver a label-free procedure. This means we can avoid using fluorophores and their phototoxic effects, which can sometimes damage cells. A reduction in the phototoxicity during autofluorescence imaging will minimize cell damage.”

The system works by using infrared (IR) light to visualize deep inside the tissue, allowing scientists to peer into 'biological windows’ or IR areas where light penetration increases in depth. The so-called 'third biological window’—a range of 1550–1870 nm—has not yet been extensively investigated. 

“While it is possible to investigate this range at present, we would need a supercontinuum laser source, which is prohibitively expensive,” Gumenyuk says. “The new lasers that will be developed by AMPLITUDE will allow us to explore this wavelength range with compact and cost-effective systems.”

The project is coordinated by Tampere University (Finland) and comprises several specialists from across Europe, including the Aston Insitute of Photonic Technologies (AIPT; England); Modus Research and Innovation Ltd. (Scotland); Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche—CNR, the University of Milan-Bicocca, and the University of Florence (Italy); the Institute of Photonic Sciences—ICFO (Spain); Ampliconyx Oy (Finland); Femtonics Ltd. (Hungary); HC Photonics (Taiwan); and LEONI Fiber Optics GmbH (Germany).

For more information, please visit cordis.europa.eu.