Photoacoustics could become alternative to mammography or sonogram for breast cancer detection

One of the lines of research of OILTEBIA, a European science project coordinated by Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, is a method to detect breast cancer based on photoacoustics and which could become an alternative to mammography or sonogram. OILTEBIA held its first "European Summer School" on laser techniques and optical imaging for biomedical applications from September 15th to 19th on the Leganés campus of the UC3M.

This emerging field of scientific research promises to change the way medicine is viewed within a few years, according to some of the experts gathered at the summer school, where researchers from the OILTEBIA consortium presented their papers and preliminary results to the rest of the network. "At present, several biomedical imaging techniques based on laser technologies are being researched, and every year new advances are made," said OILTEBIA coordinator Horacio Lamela, head of the Optoelectronics and Laser Technology group (initialled GOTL in Spanish) at the UC3M.

In this regard, there are techniques like Diffuse Optical Tomography,which permits researchers to study the functioning and afflictions of the brain and other organs through non-invasive means. Other noteworthy research is the obtaining of photoacoustic images for the detection of breast cancer. One advantage this has over X-rays is that no type of ionizing radiation is used. This technology exploits the property of ultrasonic wave generation in tissue when it is illuminated with short, high-energy pulses of light. These signals make it possible to detect concentrations of chromophores (like oxygenated hemoglobin, deoxygenated hemoglobin and lipids) and map tissue to find angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels from other ones), a process which occurs in the malignant transformation of tumor growth, explained the UC3M researchers. In fact, during the sessions of the European Summer School, they held a workshop on how to obtain these kinds of images with the Laser Optoacoustic Imaging System, available in their laboratory along with a breast tissue simulator.

Innovations in Laser Technology

The scientists also hope to make advances with regard to hardware, like the design of pulsed sources for high-energy laser diodes and laser characterization to generate photoacoustic waves. "As some of the partners in the project are large companies, it is possible the researchers will present designs for some very interesting and innovative devices," said Horacio Lamela, who noted that there is a lot of work on signal processing which might produce new advances, such as 3D-reconstruction algorithms and different types of image fusion, like optical spectroscopy and ultrasonic signal processing. "Using different wavelengths allows us not only to map tissues but also detect certain substances and their concentrations," Lamela explained.

During the research process, the scientists explained, it is difficult to say how long it might take for a device or system to become available on the market. And when trying to implement new technology in a clinical environment, one must keep in mind how this technological transfer occurs. "A promising technology might take several years to be one hundred percent available, as it has to undergo a series of exhaustive checks even when the benefits with regard to techniques that are already used are evident," said the scientists. The design, development and test stages are usually repeated to refine the effectiveness and efficiency of the systems. Later, pre-clinical tests must be carried out, and then clinical tests on humans and everything requires a series of certifications and standardizations to offer the user maximum safety.

OILTEBIA aims to provide advanced training to researchers starting in the field of the new laser techniques of biomedical optical imaging, whose applications include everything from basic research and discovery of medicines to new imaging for clinical diagnosis. These new medical imaging techniques are beginning to shift from the laboratory to the hospital, which is why in the coming years it will be necessary to have a new generation of experts who understand them. The main goal of the OILTEBIA network in this regard is precisely to be able to provide a framework of multidisciplinary training, gathering European experts in disciplines like physics, chemistry, biology and engineering in the areas of biomedical applications, optical laser sources, ultrasound sensors, signal processing and image formation algorithms.