Breakthrough for video-pill cancer imaging

Exploded diagram of capsule (Source: Scientific Reports)

Tiny sensing systems small enough for patients to swallow have been used by doctors but these devices have relied on additional illumination with a separate light source and have been restricted to the spectrum of visible light.

Researchers from the University’s School of Engineering say they have used fluorescent light for the first time to expand the diagnostic capabilities of the video-pill.

The researchers in Glasgow write:

“Flurorescence imaging is already a powerful diagnostic tool in medicine, capable of clearly identifying in patients the rich blood supplies which support cancers and help them to grow, but which can be missed by examination under visible light. However, past fluorescence imaging technologies have been expensive, bulky and consume substantial power, confining the technique to laboratories and hospital examination rooms.”

Using an advanced semiconductor single-pixel imaging technique, the researchers have managed to create flurorescence imaging in a small pill form for the first time.

According to research associate, Dr Mohammed Al-Rawhani:

“The system we’ve developed is small enough and power efficient enough to image the entire human gastrointestinal tract for up to 14 hours.

“We’ve confirmed in the lab the ability of the system to image fluorescence ‘phantoms’ – mixtures of flavins and haemoglobins which mimic closely how cancers are affected by fluorescence in parts of the body like the intestines, the bowel and the aesophagus.

“The system could also be used to help track antibodies used to label cancer in the human body, creating a new way to detect of cancer.

“It’s a valuable new technique which could help clinicians make fewer false positives and negatives in cancer diagnosis, which could lead to more effective treatment in the future.”

Professor David Cumming, the University of Glasgow’s Chair of Electronic Systems, who led the research team, said:

“There’s still some way to go before it will be ready for commercial production and clinical use, but we’re in early talks with industry to bring a product to market. We’re also interested in expanding the imaging capabilities of video-pill systems to new areas such as ultrasound in the near future.”

The paper, titled ‘Wireless fluorescence capsule for endoscopy using single photon-based detection’ is published in Nature.