Projects

PROJECT DMU-03-46/2011 “Development and introduction of optical biopsy system for early diagnostic of malignant tumors”

Funded by the National Science Fund of Bulgaria,
Ministry of Education and Science

Basic organisation:
Institute of Electronics, Bulgarian Academy of Science
IE - BAS
Research team
Assoc. Prof. Dr Ekaterina Georgieva Borisova – project manager,
Institute of Electronics, BAS
Irina Angelova Bliznakova – technical assistant of the project, PhD,
Institute of Electronics, BAS
Aleksandra Zhivkova Zhelyazkova, PhD student,
Institute of Electronics, BAS
Momchil Dimitrov Keremedchiev, PhD student,
University Hospital “Queen- Giovanna- ISUL”
Liliya Plamenova Angelova,
Institute of Electronics, BAS
Assoc. Prof. Dr Petranka Petrova Trojanova – scientific consultant,
“Queen- Giovanna- ISUL”
Prof. DMSc. Borislav Georgiev Vladimirov – scientific consultant,
“Queen- Giovanna- ISUL”
Снимка на колектива
Снимка на колектива
Annotation:
Main objectives:

Development and optimization of optoelectronic instrumentation and methodology for optical biopsy and their approbation and introduction into clinical practice for early diagnosis of malignant tumors of the skin and mucosa. Optimization of fluorescent and reflective diffuse spectroscopic techniques for obtaining maximum diagnostic accuracy in identifying the main types malignant neoplasias in dermatology and gastroenterology.

Methods:

Methods of fluorescence analysis will be used – both autofluorescence and the introduction of exogenous markers – time- and frequency-domain spectroscopy. The methods of the diffuse reflectance spectroscopy will be used for expansion of diagnostic capabilities and will be applied to pigmented neoplasms. Measurements will be performed with fibro optic probes – one-dimensional point spectroscopy (1-D), and topography (2-D) images of the distribution of fluorescence signals from tissue in norm and pathology. Databases of fluorescent and reflective properties will be created and computer-processing methods will be introduced – development of diagnostic algorithms to differentiate the main types of malignancies by type, stage of development and from benign pathologies. Spectral data will be compared and verified with histological results, got according to the “gold standard”.

Expected results:

Systems for optical biopsy of malignant neoplasias of the skin and mucosa, primary diagnosis, and intraoperative monitoring will be created. Methods for diagnosis of the main types skin neoplasias and their differentiation from benign and dysplastic lesions, will be introduced. System and methods for fluorescent intraoperative monitoring of tumor resection of the colon and rectum will be established. The established in previous research methodology for fluorescence diagnosis of tumors of the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract will be enhanced. Instrumental and methodological tools will be clinically implemented.

Research results will be published in specialized international journals and reported at conferences, which is necessary for their promotion and will contribute to the overall growth of members of the project team. The developed methods and equipment will be used in the dissertations of two young scientists.

Project objectives:

  1. Development and optimization of optoelectronic systems and methods for optical biopsy of skin and mucosa, and their approbation in clinical practice for early diagnosis of malignant tumors
  2. Receiving maximum diagnostic accuracy in identifying the main types malignant neoplasias in dermatology and gastroenterology. The developed 1-D and 2-D systems for spectroscopic analysis will be used for local measurement of the spectral characteristics of the topography of tumors of the skin and mucosa, and intraoperative monitoring of tumor excisions (surgical removal), allowing precise determination of tumor borders and metastasized cells in tissue and nearby lymph nodes.
  3. The systems and methods developed for diagnosis and monitoring will be put into practice at the University Hospital “Queen Joanna-ISUL.” Basic spectral parameters of biological tissues in norm and pathology will be determined, which will enrich the database of optical properties of human tissues. Original data on temporal fluorescent parameters of the main types cancers of the skin and gastrointestinal tract will be obtained.
  4. The results of the scientific research will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at prestigious international conferences, which will help greatly career growth of young scientists in the project team. An important objective of the project is the development of systems and clinical studies, which will be integral parts of the dissertations of two PhD students in the team: A. Zhelyazkova – systems and methods for spectral analysis, M. Keremedchiev – clinical research and approbation of systems for fluorescence diagnostics and intraoperative monitoring of GIT tumors.

Reports, presented in the first year of the project
DMU-03-46/2011:

  1. Borisova E., Pavlova E., Troyanova P., Avramov L.,
    “Optical Biopsy of Cutaneous Tumours”
    oral report on the Second International Conference on Laser Surgery and Medicine – CLSM’2012, 23-27 April 2012, Yokohama, Japan
    Download as .PDF file
  2. Borisova E., Pavlova E., Troyanova P., Nikolova B., Tsoneva I.,
    “Autofluorescence of skin cancer – tool for initial diagnosis and monitoring of therapy”
    invited lecture on Fifteenth International Conference on Laser Optics (LO’2012), 25-29 June 2012, Sankt-Peterburg, Russia
    This report, presented by Assoc. prof. Dr. Ekaterina Borisova, was awarded with Certificate from D.S.Rozhdestvensky Optical Society
    Download as .PDF file
  3. Borisova E., Pavlova E., Troyanova P., Keremedchiev M., Vladimirov B., Plamenova L.,
    “Endogenous and exogenous fluorescence of biological tissues for clinical applications”
    invited lecture on 20th International Conference on Advanced Laser Technologies (ALT’2012) – 2-7 September 2012, Thun, Switzerland
    Download as .PDF file
  4. Borisova E., Plamenova L., Keremedchiev M., Vladimirov B., Avramov L.,
    “Endogenous and exogenous fluorescence of gastrointestinal tumors – initial clinical observations”
    poster presentation on 17th International School on Quantum Electronics “Laser Physics and Applications” (XVII ISQE’2012) – 24-28 September 2012, Nesseber, Bulgaria
    This report, presented by young scientist Lilia Angelova, was awarded with second prize of SPIE for “Best student report” on XVII ISQE
    Download as .PDF file
  5. Borisova E., Pavlova E., Troyanova P., Nikolova B., Tsoneva I.,
    “Optical biopsy clinical tool for initial diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of cutaneous tumors”
    invited lecture on International School on Optics, Lasers and Biomedical Photonics (Saratov Fall Meeting – SFM’2012), 23-30 September 2012, Saratov, Russia
    Download as .PDF file
  6. Borisova E.,
    “Autofluorescence spectral features of normal skin – basis for comparison with cutaneous pathologies”
    oral report on International School on Optics, Lasers and Biomedical Photonics (Saratov Fall Meeting – SFM’2012), 23-30 September 2012, Saratov, Russia
  7. Borisova E., Pavlova E., Troyanova P., Nikolova B., Tsoneva I.,
    “Optical biopsy – tool for initial cancer diagnosis and monitoring of therapy”
    invited lecture on European Medical Physics Conference (EMPEC’2012), 18-20 October 2012, Sofia, Bulgaria
    Download as .PDF file

Publications for the first year of the project

A)  In specialized journals and proceedings:

  1. Borisova E., Pavlova P., Pavlova E., Troyanova P., Avramov L.,“Optical biopsy of human skin – tool for cutaneous tumours’ diagnosis”,

    Int. J. Bioautomation, 16(1): 53-72, (2012), ISSN: 1314-2321 (on-line) 1314-1902 (print)

    Download as .PDF file

  2. Borisova E., Plamenova L., Keremedchiev M., Vladimirov B., Avramov L.,“Endogenous and exogenous fluorescence of gastrointestinal tumors – initial clinical observations”

    Proc. SPIE, ISQ12-ISQ100-87, 9 p. (2012) (accepted)

    See the abstract in “17-th ISQE BOOK OF ABSTRACTS”

B)  Full texts in conference proceedings

  1. Borisova E., Pavlova E., Troyanova P., Nikolova B., Tsoneva I.,“Optical biopsy – tool for initial cancer diagnosis and monitoring of therapy”,

    Proc. of EMPEC (European Medical Physics Conference) October 2012, 172-179; ISBN 978-954-91589-3-9 (2012)

    Download as .PDF file

  2. Borisova E., Pavlova E., Troyanova P., Avramov L.,“Optical Biopsy of Cutaneous Tumours”,

    Proc. CLSM, CLSM6-2, 42-43 (2012)

    Download as .PDF file

  3. Borisova E., Pavlova E., Troyanova P., Nikolova B., Tsoneva I.,“Autofluorescence of skin cancer – tool for initial diagnosis and monitoring of therapy”,

    Proc. of 15th Int. Conf. “Laser Optics-2012”, St. Petersburg, Russia, 25-29 June, 3 p. (2012)

    Download as .PDF file

C)  Conference abstracts

  1. Borisova E., Pavlova E., Troyanova P., Keremedchiev M., Vladimirov B., Plamenova L.,“Endogenous and exogenous fluorescence of biological tissues for clinical applications”,

    Book of abstracts, 20th Int. Conf. Adv. Las. Tech. 187-188 (2012)

    Download as .PDF file

  2. Pavlova E., Borisova E., Troyanova P., Avramov L.,“Light-indiced autofluorescence and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy of cutaneous tumors – clinical study”,

    Book of abstracts – 17th ISQE, 99-100 (2012)

    See the abstract in “17-th ISQE BOOK OF ABSTRACTS”

  3. Borisova E., Angelova L., Keremedchiev M., Vladimirov B., Avramov L.,“Endogenous and exogenous fluorescence of gastrointestinal tumors – initial clinical observations”,

    Book of abstracts – 17th ISQE, 102-103 (2012)

    See the abstract in “17-th ISQE BOOK OF ABSTRACTS”

  4. Borisova E.,“Autofluorescence spectral features of normal skin – basis for comparison with cutaneous pathologies”,

    Proc. of SFM’2012 (2012)

    Download as .PDF file

  5. Borisova E., Pavlova E., Troyanova P., Nikolova B., Tsoneva I.,“Optical biopsy clinical tool for initial diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of cutaneous tumors”,

    Proc. of SFM’2012, (2012)

    Download as .PDF file