Third Harmonic Generation Imaging for Undyed Tissue Cancer Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies face challenges in analyzing the state of undyed tissues at a cellular level for cancer determination.
Innovation Solution
A cancer determination system that uses a multiphoton microscope to capture Z stack images of uterine tissues using third harmonic generation (THG), allowing for the visualization of cell nuclei without dyeing, and a device that analyzes these images to determine cancer likelihood based on cell nucleus features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If dyeing agents are used to visualize cell nuclei, then cell nucleus visualization is improved, but tissue processing complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the dyeing step from the traditional tissue processing workflow. By using third harmonic generation imaging, cell nuclei can be visualized directly in undyed tissues, eliminating the time-consuming dyeing, dehydration, and mounting processes while maintaining the ability to identify and analyze cell nucleus features for cancer determination
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical dyeing mechanism with an optical imaging mechanism. Instead of using chemical agents to stain cell nuclei, the system uses multiphoton excitation and third harmonic generation to optically highlight cell nucleus structures, thereby substituting a complex chemical processing system with a more efficient optical detection system
2Measurement precision
If traditional dyeing methods are used, then cell level analysis is enabled, but the analysis process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential function of cell nucleus visualization from the complex dyeing process. By directly imaging cell nuclei in undyed tissues through third harmonic generation, it removes the need for multiple processing steps including dyeing, dehydration, clearing, and mounting, thereby simplifying the overall analysis process while maintaining cell level analysis capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the tissue itself to provide the necessary contrast for cell nucleus visualization without external chemical assistance. The endogenous optical properties of cell nuclei generate sufficient third harmonic signal for clear visualization, allowing the tissue to 'serve itself' for imaging purposes and eliminating the need for external dyeing agents and complex processing
3Measurement precision
If dyeing procedures are performed, then cancer determination accuracy is improved, but processing time and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the critical function of cell nucleus identification from the dyeing process. By using third harmonic generation imaging to directly visualize cell nuclei in undyed tissues, it maintains the ability to accurately determine cancer based on cell nucleus features while removing the time-consuming dyeing and processing steps, thereby improving analysis efficiency without sacrificing diagnostic accuracy
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 determination of cancer likelihood in uterine tissues without the need for dyeing, improving analysis efficiency and accuracy by focusing on cell nucleus features.
Implementation Method 1
A cancer determination system that uses a multiphoton microscope to capture Z stack images of uterine tissues using third harmonic generation (THG)
Data Source
AI summary
An image acquire device comprising: an irradiator configured to irradiate an undyed tissue with excitation light; an image sensor configured to acquire a third harmonic image of the undyed tissue based on light generated in third harmonic generation caused by interaction between the undyed tissue and the excitation light.