Feredun Azari, M.D., general surgeon at Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Sardar Azari, and Sunil Singhal, M.D., Penn Medicine physician and Director of the Center for Precision Surgery at the Abramson Cancer Center, co-invented OptiDx, an AI-powered optical tool for fluorescence-guided oncological surgery.
When a patient is diagnosed with cancer, fluorescence-guided surgery using an inert near-infrared dye to discern tumors from healthy cells is often an attractive treatment option. However, every potential tumor identified by the technique must be checked by an oncologist, a step which is both costly and time consuming.
To try and overcome this problem, the inventors developed OptiDX, a smart camera powered by AI to evaluate tumor fluorescence results in real time. In studies to date, this tool provides rapid and accurate tumor identification without the frozen section staining process normally required, saving over 30 minutes and thousands of dollars per surgical procedure.
PCI is actively seeking potential partners and investors for further development of this exciting technology opportunity. You can find more information about the technology here.