Oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma affects millions worldwide and has low survival rates due to delayed diagnosis and poor outcome of advanced diseases. The current standard for oral cancer screening is conventional oral examination under normal light by dentists. If an oral lesion is suspicious, a scalpel biopsy will be followed for definite diagnosis. However, biopsy is invasive, involves patient discomfort, and has risks such as bleeding and infection. Several assays, such as fluorescence imaging, have been employed as adjuncts to detect alterations in oral tissue indicative of malignancy. However, they are not suitable for point-of-care (POC) applications that require real-ti...

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Oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma affects millions worldwide and has low survival rates due to delayed diagnosis and poor outcome of advanced diseases. The current standard for oral cancer screening is conventional oral examination under normal light by dentists. If an oral lesion is suspicious, a scalpel biopsy will be followed for definite diagnosis. However, biopsy is invasive, involves patient discomfort, and has risks such as bleeding and infection. Several assays, such as fluorescence imaging, have been employed as adjuncts to detect alterations in oral tissue indicative of malignancy. However, they are not suitable for point-of-care (POC) applications that require real-time evaluation of the disease status at the time and place of patient care. There is a need to develop POC technologies for early detection that can improve patient survival. This project will develop a handheld hyperspectral imaging device like a dental handpiece or a small flashlight for early detection of oral cancer. The innovations include the development of a miniature probe for real-time imaging, the design of a micro-LED array and micro digital camera for wavelength scanning, and the development of advanced AI tools. The handheld probe will identify suspicious cancer regions and use a wireless transceiver to connect with a smartphone. The collected data can be sent to the cloud or clinical center for follow-up diagnosis and treatment. The handheld device will be tested in a prospective clinical study at two clinical sites: Texas A&M University School of Dentistry and UT Southwestern Medical Center. Specificity and sensitivity will be evaluated for oral cancer detection in human patients. The handheld probe can be widely used as a low-cost, easy-to-use, point-of-care device at dental offices, outpatient clinics, remote areas, low-resource communities, or family homes, thus making cancer detection earlier and easier, and therefore helping reduce mortality.

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