Endoscopic probe for real-time in vivo stimulated Raman scattering histology – RamanSCOPE

The aim of the project is to develop a miniature probe able to perform a real-time Raman histological diagnosis, facilitating early and minimally invasive detection of gastrointestinal cancer. The current diagnosis procedure consists in removing a suspicious tissue sample (biopsy) and analyzing it under a microscope (histology). This process typically takes several weeks, causing significant anxiety of the patient and potentially delaying the implementation of an appropriate treatment, sometimes at a critical stage in the evolution of the pathology. Our endoscopic device aims to eliminate this time-consuming step, enabling real-time histological diagnosis directly on the patient, even during surgical procedures to remove cancerous tissue. This would represent a considerable improvement in the detection and treatment of gastrointestinal cancers.

However, Raman histology is only possible in the stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) regime. This is because the detection of the SRS signal results from a modulation transfer from one laser beam to the other, which is efficient mainly in the direction of light propagation. This is a priori incompatible with an endoscopic probe, in which the signal emitted by the tissue is usually collected in the contra-propagative direction. We propose here a completely new approach combining the latest SRS microscopy techniques with the most advanced techniques of miniature fibered probe assembly and the latest advances in high-resolution 3D glass additive manufacturing, to perform a "backward" detection of the SRS signal. This will be the first SRS endoscope able to perform real-time Raman histology. Finally, the probe will be integrated into a mobile and stand-alone kart, thanks to the expertise of Lightcore Technologies, to develop a prototype and then evolve into a commercial product dedicated to scientific research and clinical analysis.