Precision non-invasive surgery
Laser "knife" diagnoses skin cancer and immediately treats it without incisions
Svetlana Maslova, Hi-tech+
Canadian scientists have developed a high-precision laser microscope that is able to diagnose and treat diseases, including skin cancer, in a completely non-invasive way.
Researchers from The University of British Columbia has developed a specialized laser microscope that can diagnose even small changes in the body, as well as perform incredibly complex operations without incisions of the skin, according to a press release A new way of diagnosing and treating disease-without cutting skin.
"Our technology allows us to quickly scan tissues and when we see a suspicious cellular structure, we can selectively perform ultra–precise operations – treat affected or abnormal areas inside the tissue without dissecting the skin," says study co-author Yemei Huang.
The ultrafast laser beam scans the skin to a depth of one millimeter and, if necessary, immediately treats it, increasing the thermal effect on the target area.
The authors state that the technology will allow to affect the nerve plexuses and blood vessels on the skin, in the eyes, and in the brain. At the same time, the impact will be exclusively targeted – the treatment will not affect any of the surrounding vessels or healthy areas.
Comparison of spatially selective photothermolysis (SSP) with traditional chromophore selective photothermolysis (CSP) for the treatment of cutaneous blood vessels. After the usual CSP, all vessels in the irradiation volume are destroyed (indicated in black). With SSP, only the target vessel is closed. The insert shows that the vessels above the target do not change, although the laser pulses pass through them. SSP can also handle vessels that CSP cannot reach due to the limited depth of visible light penetration. A drawing from the article by Huang et al. Precise closure of single blood vessels via multiphoton absorption–based photothermolysis, published in the journal Science Advances – VM.
"For the first time, we were able to obtain fast visualization with high video transmission speed, and were also the first to develop a technology for therapeutic use," scientist Haishan Tsen emphasizes the significance of the work. Now the team is working on a miniature version that could be used for research and treatment of the digestive tract during endoscopy.
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