Lightpoint Medical Inc. — Department of Health and Human Services SBIR Phase I: 102

Description

Project SummaryEvery yearapproximatelymen in the US will undergo radical prostatectomy as a surgical treatment for prostate cancerRadical prostatectomy is highly effective but frequently severs the patientandapos s neurovascular bundlecompromising his fertilityurinary continenceand or erectile functionThe neurovascular bundle is often severed during radical prostatectomy because surgeons have no way to detect cancer involvement of the bundle during surgeryProviding surgeons with an accurate tool to detect prostate cancer intraoperatively could enable them to increase the use of nerve sparing proceduresRadioguided surgery withmTc PSMA holds significant promise for detecting cancer during surgeryHoweverthe technique has poorcentimeter scale spatial resolutionIn this project we are proposing a novel technology called electron radioguided surgeryeRGSthat dramatically boosts the sensitivity of conventional radioguided surgeryThe approach measures the electrons emitted instead of the gamma particles emitted by conventionalmTc radiopharmaceuticalsThe measurement is made possible by direct detection of electrons in a solid state CMOS sensorThe sensor is incorporated into a probe suitable for manuallaparoscopicand robotic laparoscopic surgeryThis project will optimize and test the electron detecting method in vitro and in vivo before proceeding to controlled product developmentIf successfulelectron radioguided surgery could reduce the complications and morbidity associated with the current surgical treatment of prostate cancer Project NarrativePatients with prostate cancer are typically treated by complete surgical removal of their prostateHoweverthis procedure can cause significant nerve damageresulting in complications such as urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunctionIn this projectwe are developing a new device that surgeons can use to find cancer during surgery and ultimately reduce the number of patients who experience complications from prostate cancer surgery