SUMMARY:
UCLA researchers in the Department of Chemistry have developed a device that allows for quantitative and sensitive assessment of tissues (i.e. tumors) and materials based on local variations in elastic, friction, and cutting forces on needle insertion.
BACKGROUND:
The primary level of screening for thyroid cancer, palpation, is by nature a mechanical test. On finding a solid nodule by palpation, a general practitioner generally refers the patient for an ultrasound of the thyroid. Ultrasound is inherently a mechanical imaging mode, since reflections from tissue occur only where there are significant variations in density or elastic modulus. Sonographers will invariably note the presence of calcification in thyroid nodules, since these hard, dense localizations within the solid nodule are both highly visible in this imaging modality and highly correlated with various carcinomas of the thyroid. Ultrasonography can be used to determine the presence of nonpalpable nodules as small as 1 mm within the thyroid tissue. The drawbacks of these methodologies are that they are time consuming and are sometimes unreliable for diagnosis. In developing countries, the cost of medical ultrasound is prohibitive.
INNOVATION:
Researchers at UCLA have utilized a needle device that allows for the in vivo cancer diagnosis of solid tumors such as thyroid, breast, and liver by mapping the quantitative insertion forces that occur during needle insertion.
POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS:
• In vivo detection of clinically relevant conditions known to change local tissue material properties
• Cancers, cysts, lipomas
ADVANTAGES:
• Cost savings versus medical ultrasound
• Shorter time to diagnosis versus traditional methods
• Greater accuracy of diagnosis than traditional methods
• Can measure mechanical properties by atomic force microscopy
DEVELOPMENT-TO-DATE:
A prototype has been developed and proof-of-concept has been demonstrated in physical gelatin matrix models. Development is ongoing.
RELATED PAPERS:
• Wickramaratne, Dayan, et al. "Fine Needle Elastography (FNE) device for biomechanically determining local variations of tissue mechanical properties." Journal of biomechanics 48.1 (2015): 81-88.