Successful medical intervention requires precision and speed in diagnosis, in choice of therapeutic strategy, and in implementation. Oncologic surgeons seeking tumor margins, reconstructive surgeons evaluating flap perfusion, neuro-intensivists assessing cerebral blood flow, and obstetricians choosing delivery options during high risk pregnancies need data regarding tissue composition, metabolism, and perfusion that is acutely actionable – immediate, integrated within the workflow and interpretable within the context of the individual’s medical and imaging history. The National Center for Interventional Biophotonic Technologies (NCIBT) will address this unmet need by:
- Advancing scalable optical imaging technology, built from the perspective of intelligent optical system design, to characterize tissue properties in the most effective manner;
- Developing an intraprocedural platform that physically incorporates these technologies and integrates the resulting imaging data, details of the procedure itself, and patient-specific information within AI-based decision algorithms that guide, in real-time, therapeutic decisions, and
- Disseminating these technological advancements to research institutions and medical centers throughout the country.
Strategy
NCIBT will establish technological development of optical imaging technologies, initially, iFLIm and iDOS, and their advancement to clinical use. The open-ended intraprocedural platform will allow subsequent incorporation of other optical imaging technologies, complementary to iFLIm and iDOS in providing tissue structural information at high resolution. The strategy is to
- Develop iFLIm, iDOS, and the AI-platform in parallel, benefitting from multiple synergies
- Catalyze technological tool development and clinical application by advancements in AI-Deep Learning
- Coalesce expertise in biophotonics science and clinical investigation in all development, translational and dissemination programs
- Leverage the past experience and current prominence of the Center’s leaders in training and dissemination activities.
The NCIBT has three cores: Scientific (3 TRDs, 7CPs, 7 SPs), Administrative Core, and TTD Program.
