Other

Asima Pradhan

Robert R Alfano

Yury Budansky

Guichen C Tang

Leming M Wang

Bidyut B Das

Bidyut Baran Das

A method for determining if tissue is malignant as opposed to non-malignant (i.e., benign tumor tissue, benign tissue, or normal tissue). In one embodiment, the method comprises irradiating a human breast tissue sample with light at a wavelength of about 310 nm and measuring the time-resolved fluorescence emitted therefrom at about 340 nm. The time-resolved fluorescence profile is then compared to similar profiles obtained from known malignant and non-malignant human breast tissues. By fitting the profiles to the formula I(t)=A.sub.1 e.sup.(-t/.tau. 1.sup.) +A.sub.2 e.sup.(-t/.tau. 2.sup.), one can quantify the differences between tissues of various conditions. For example, non-malignant human breast tissues exhibit a slow component (.tau..sub.2) which is less than 1.6 ns whereas malignant human breast tissues exhibit a slow component (.tau..sub.2) which is greater than 1.6 ns. In addition, non-malignant human breast tissues exhibit a ratio of fast to slow amplitudes (A.sub.1 /A.sub.2) which is greater than 0.85 whereas malignant human breast tissues exhibit a ratio of fast to slow amplitudes (A.sub.1 /A.sub.2) which is less than 0.6. This technique can be used with different excitation and/or emission wavelengths, and can be applied to the detection of malignancies (or other abnormal states) in tissues other than human breast tissue.

Method for determining if tissue is malignant as opposed to

A method for determining if tissue is malignant as opposed to non-malignant (i.e., benign tumor tissue, benign tissue, or normal tissue), In one embodiment, the method comprises irradiating a human breast tissue sample with light at a wavelength of about 310 nm and measuring the time-resolved fluorescence emitted therefrom at about 340 nm. The time-resolved fluorescence profile is then compared to similar profiles obtained from known malignant and non-malignant human breast tissues. By fitting the profiles to the formula I(t)=A.sub.1 e(-t/.tau..sub.1)+A.sub.2 e(-t/.tau..sub.2) one can quantify the differences between tissues of various conditions. For example, non-malignant human breast tissues exhibit a slow component (.tau..sub.2) which is less than 1.6 ns whereas malignant human breast tissues exhibit a slow component (.tau..sub.2) which is greater than 1.6 ns. In addition, non-malignant human breast tissues exhibit a ratio of fast to slow amplitudes (A.sub.1 /A.sub.2) which is greater than 0.85 whereas malignant human breast tissues exhibit a ratio of fast to slow amplitudes (A.sub.1 /A.sub.2) which is less than 0.6. This technique can be used with different excitation and/or emission wavelengths, and can be applied to the detection of malignancies (or other abnormal states) in tissues other than human breast tissue.

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Montreal, Canada

Asima Pradhan