Kevin Hewitt (Dalhousie University)
A portable ambient light-compatible spectroscopic probe for disease detection
The Hewitt Bionanophotonics lab at Dalhousie explores the use of inelastic light scattering - enhanced using nanoscale surfaces in some instances - for disease detection. In this talk I will describe a patent (pending) portable ambient light-compatible spectroscopic probe to non-invasively assess global and macrovesicular steatosis in human liver specimens. Two-stage biochemical and histopathological validations highlight the potential of the examined system as a trustworthy, non-invasive modality for steatosis evaluation. Notably, the ambient light-compatible approach is a notable progression beyond prior spectroscopic methods, effectively addressing associated limitations. The correlation between fat content results derived from the investigated Raman system and traditional triglyceride quantifications reinforces the reliability of this methodology. Moreover, introducing a dual-variable prediction for identifying significant (≥10%) discrepancies in global HS and MaS demonstrates the advanced precision and subtlety the system can deliver.
Beyond immediate outcomes, this study lays the foundation for the broader application of ambient light-compatible spectroscopic probes in clinical environments, potentially revolutionizing intraoperative liver assessments. Amidst the escalating demand for liver transplantation, tools of this nature hold substantial promise in ensuring optimal graft quality, consequently benefiting liver recipients. While the results are encouraging, further research is imperative to affirm the comprehensive potential and applicability of this system, especially in real-world operating room contexts.
