SBIR Phase I: Instant non-invasive diagnostics of cancer with plasmonic nanobubbles

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop a novel optical method of detecting microscopic tumors for more rapid and accurate point of care cancer diagnoses. The system aims to improve cancer biopsy diagnostic procedures through a novel plasmonic nanobubble mode of action for detecting and destroying microscopic tumors that may otherwise remain undetectable using current direct access and iterative surgical means. By integrating the proposed photonic sensor diagnostic technology into current clinical tools including endoscopes, assessments can be performed without the need to physically extract the sample tissues in question and perform laboratory testing. The system aims to supplement existing invasive surgical diagnostic procedures to capture a portion of the $25.5 billion annual cancer biopsy market. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop a prototype endoscope diagnostic cancer sensor using laser-activated plasmonic nanobubbles (PNB). The project integrates plasmonic nanobubbles sensors into a component medical device platform and onto a standard sized clinical endoscope, for performing lung cancer diagnostic procedures. The objective to develop a universal tiny fiber optical probe, the critical component, for enabling a mininally invasive optically based diagnostic system. This flexible probe, administered to a patient through a standard endoscope, will noninvasively generate and detect plasmonic nanobubbles in the tissue, connected to an external system via optical fibers. The probe aims to achieve diagnostic sensitivity and speed sufficient for the instant direct detection of microscopic tumors in patients using a standard endoscope, matching invasive diagnostic performance measures for assessing lung cancer. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.