CEA-Leti and its partners in a project aimed at designing a more effective and less-invasive procedure for detecting prostate cancer have developed an endorectal probe combining optical and ultrasound imaging.

Prostate cancer diagnosis is based on PSA determination followed by endorectal ultrasound biopsy. The biopsy protocol’s lack of specificity and the difficulty to accurately identify and localize malignant tumors in some cases leads to a dramatic increase in biopsies collection and an increased risk of complications. To make biopsies more efficient and less invasive, members of the Prostafluo Project have developed the bi-modal approach combining fluorescence molecular optical imaging and ultrasound measurements.

During the procedure, a tumor-specific fluorescent marker will be injected into the patient several hours before the exam. A pulsed laser will trigger the fluorescence accumulation in the tumor and an optical probe will localize it.

The combination of both fluorescence-diffuse optical tomography (FDOT) and ultrasound imaging will provide a more accurate guidance of the biopsy needle to the prostate tumor. However, the two-dimensional image from the ultrasound and the three-dimensional surface provided by the optics must be reconciled, and registration is required to guarantee a consistent visualization for the physician. For the first time, the researchers have successfully superimposed ultrasound and optical images of a prostate phantom.

“This new device may decrease the number of necessary prostate biopsies, reduce the risk of complications and improve patient health,” said Jerome Boutet, the project leader at Leti. “Moreover, the system and localization method are very generic and may be used someday in a wide field of applications beyond prostate cancer diagnosis, such as mammography, atheroma and thyroid-nodule detection.”

Leti’s partners in the Prostafluo Project include Vermon SA, the ultrasound probe manufacturer; Amplitude Systemes, the laser manufacturer; INSA Lyon CREATIS; LCFIO Institut d’Optique Graduate School, and the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Bordeaux.

The bimodal probe will be tested on a set of volunteers without fluorescent marker injection during 2012, followed by clinical trials of the fluorescent markers.

Contact:

Jérôme Boutet

+33 4 38 78 38 57

jerome.boutet@cea.fr