A novel, broadband dermatological scanning acoustic microscope (DSAM) for in vivo imaging and characterization of micro-cellular structures of the skin is proposed. It will operate over three frequency octaves, from 25 to 200 MHz, for detecting and screening dermatological cancer and environmentally induced diseases, providing tissue penetration to at least 1.0 cm and axial/lateral resolutions less than 8111microns at the skin surface. Each pixel of a cross-sectional B-Scan or planar C-Scan image will provide information about the absorption, elastic properties and density of tissue cells, which may improve the visualization and clinical assessment of consistent patterns of cellular malignancy. The transducer configuration will be a novel annular array comprised of a bundle of fine-grain ceramic fibers, filled with an epoxy to enhance its acoustic properties. A feasibility assessment of the clinical utility of the proposed design will be carried out at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (Philadelphia. PA). The acoustic images will be obtained first of normal and abnormal histological swine tissue sections in vitro and then of a swine melanoma model in vivo. Measured acoustic features of the tissue specimens will be compared with those features obtained with standard optical techniques for tissue characterization. If the development of a dermatological scanning acoustic microscope (DSAM) is successful, then J&W Medical Inc. is prepared to explore a number of options for commercialization. This includes either licensing the technology, entering into a strategic alliance with a mature company looking for a novel medical imaging product, or seeking venture capital for in-house manufacturing.
Thesaurus Terms: biomedical equipment development, microscopy, skin disorder diagnosis, sound histopathology, melanoma bioimaging /biomedical imaging, swine
