Raman analysis to improve medical diagnosis
12 Dec 2012
An international team is using laser-based methods to create better diagnosis tools in medicine.
Researchers at the University of St Andrews have been awarded more than half a million pounds as part of an international project to develop new laser-based methods to more quickly and accurately diagnose major diseases.
Professor Kishan Dholakia and Dr Tomas Cizmar will work on creating new light probes which could save lives by detecting potentially life-threatening diseases, including skin cancer, at an earlier stage.
St Andrews researchers will draw on the University’s expertise in Raman analysis - obtaining information through light scattering from molecules, akin to an optical fingerprint, and optical beam shaping.
In particular the researchers will examine the light scattering ’signature’ changes between healthy and cancerous cells and tissue, that are subtle but can be picked up and analysed.
The team will focus on using these light-based techniques as methods for early screening of diseases, including types of skin cancer, ultimately addressing specific unmet clinical needs.
The light scattering changes may be seen very early in the development of a disease, which would allow doctors or clinicians to use this to pinpoint the location of tumours at a very early stage.
In turn, this would allow the application of treatment at a point in the disease cycle which could lead to the reduction of recurrence.
The pan-European biophotonics consortium, “FAMOS”, plans to develop a new generation of advanced lasers, methods and light sources, which they expect will be able to deliver dramatic advances to the early diagnosis and, ultimately, treatment of major diseases.
FAMOS, which means “excellent” in German, has 17 partners from eight countries including the University of St Andrews in Scotland.
