Spectral Molecular Imaging (SMI), subsidiary of Cascade Technologies, will receive $750,000 NIH grant to speed up the development of a new generation of medical endoscopes with patented multispectral imaging technology. The multispectral imaging endoscopes will be based on Omega Optical’s optical technology. Omega provides wavelength-selection filter solutions.
The funding was granted under the federal government’s program, Small Business Innovation Research Initiative. The program is designed to bring important technology from the lab to the market.
The main investigators involved in the project are SMI’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Daniel L. Farkas, and Omega Optical’s Director of Research, Dr. Gary Carver. The project will primarily focus on completing a prototype multispectral endoscope and the subsequent preclinical testing process. Preclinical testing of the prototype endoscope will take place at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
The development team from Omega and SMI will use the fiber-optic wavelength selection devices. The fiber-optic tools, designed for the telecommunication industry, will be applied in biomedical imaging. The resulting endoscope may allow early detection of cancer and subsequent treatments.
Dr Farkas stated that the new generation of endoscopes may allow surgeons to collect the data on human tissue signatures with better resolution and speed compared to the present generation of endoscopes available in the market. Farkas added that the device will offer real-time diagnostic information, which is available only after the laboratory tests on biopsied tissues.
Source: http://www.spectralmi.com