A noninvasive device developed by Texas A&M University researchers enables doctors to quickly and accurately identify cancerous tissue in a person’s mouth. Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLIM) measures and visualizes the biochemical changes that occur in oral epithelial tissue as it turns cancerous.

Lesions are often indistinguishable to the naked eye. The Texas A&M-developed, handheld microscope observes distinct fluorescence signatures that are specific to benign, precancerous, and cancerous tissue.

Using FLIM technology, the researchers can detect the fluorescence spectrum, or the color content of the fluorescence light, and the fluorescence lifetime. No external contrast agent is needed, as only the natural fluorescence of the tissue is measured.

“Using FLIM, we can see a reduction in the fluorescence lifetime in precancerous tissue and changes in the fluorescence spectrum in malignant tissue that are not apparent in benign tissue,” said Javier Jo, associate professor in the university’s Department of Biomedical Engineering.

The information can then be fed into a computer where an algorithm color-codes the images of the oral cavity; benign tissue appears green, and cancerous or precancerous cells appear red.

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