Fluorescence Imaging of Liquid Biopsy Analytes for Non-Invasive Cancer Staging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for diagnosing and staging cancer, particularly in early-stage breast cancer and bladder cancer, are invasive, limited in capturing tumor heterogeneity, and lack sensitivity in detecting systemic disease spread, making it difficult to accurately stratify cancer stages and predict relapse.
Innovation Solution
A biological structure identification system using an optical imaging system to label biological structures with fluorophores for fluorescence assays, combined with a processing system to generate images, detect features, form identification buckets, and compare profiles to determine cancer stages, allowing for non-invasive staging and monitoring of cancer progression.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional invasive methods (biopsies, imaging) are used for cancer staging, then diagnostic accuracy can be achieved, but patient comfort and ease of operation deteriorate due to invasiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces invasive mechanical biopsy and imaging procedures with a liquid biopsy approach that analyzes circulating biological structures (cells, extracellular vesicles, nucleic acids) in body fluids. This substitution eliminates the need for tissue invasion while maintaining diagnostic capability through molecular and cellular analysis of circulating analytes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses circulating biological structures in liquid biopsy samples as intermediary carriers that reflect tumor status without requiring direct tissue access. These intermediaries (CTCs, exosomes, DNA) serve as proxies for tumor presence, stage, and progression, enabling non-invasive diagnosis while maintaining measurement precision
2Measurement precision
If traditional staging methods are used, then cancer detection is possible, but sensitivity for detecting systemic disease spread deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from localized tissue-based detection to a systemic circulation-based detection dimension. By analyzing circulating biological structures throughout the body fluid, the method detects cancer signals across multiple compartments (blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluid) simultaneously, enhancing sensitivity for metastatic disease spread beyond local tissue limitations
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid biopsy platform provides universal detection capability across different cancer stages and metastatic patterns. The same circulating analyte analysis can detect early-stage localized disease, intermediate-stage regional spread, and advanced-stage distant metastases, making the system universally applicable for comprehensive cancer staging without requiring stage-specific specialized tests
3Loss of information
If invasive biopsy methods are used for tumor heterogeneity analysis, then molecular profiling is achieved, but ease of operation and patient comfort worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes mechanical tissue biopsy with liquid-based circulation analysis to capture tumor heterogeneity. By detecting multiple circulating biological structure types (differentiated CTCs, stem-like CTCs, extracellular vesicles, nucleic acids) with distinct molecular profiles, the system achieves comprehensive heterogeneity assessment without mechanical tissue invasion
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments circulating biological structures into distinct functional categories (epithelial CTCs, mesenchymal CTCs, stem-like cells, extracellular vesicles) based on their molecular and phenotypic characteristics. This segmentation enables parallel analysis of different tumor subpopulations within the circulation, capturing heterogeneity across multiple cell types simultaneously in a non-invasive manner
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate and non-invasive cancer staging and monitoring by identifying rare biological structures through fluorescence and morphology, providing a comprehensive overview of cancer stages and predicting disease progression, thereby improving patient outcomes.
Implementation Method 1
biological structures that are labeled with one or more fluorophores associated with a fluorescence assay for a cancer allowing detection of emitted electromagnetic radiation from the liquid biopsy sample
Data Source
AI summary
A biological structure identification system includes an optical imaging system configured to illuminate a liquid biopsy sample for a subject. The liquid biopsy sample has one or more biological structures that are labeled with one or more fluorophores associated with a fluorescence assay for a cancer allowing detection of emitted electromagnetic radiation from the liquid biopsy sample as image data. The system also includes a processing system configured to identify a cancer stage for the subject by determining a predetermined cancer stage profile from a set of predetermined cancer stage profiles to which the subject profile is most similar.