Project

  Fluorescence camera for the detection of perfusion alterations

Funding
   Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (grant ZF4104101AK5)
   01/2016 – 12/2017

Partners
   Xiralite GmbH Berlin

Rheumatoid diseases are among the most frequent diseases in the developed countries. In particular, rheumatoid arthritis and arthrosis are well known. Medical doctors need methods to differentiate the various inflammatory diseases and to evaluate the success of the selected therapies.

In the past, PTB has developed several approaches to detect rheumatoid alterations of finger joints by fluorescence imaging which were subsequently evaluated with clinical partners. In these approaches, the transient flow of the contrast agent indocyanine green (ICG) through finger joints has been observed by sensitive fluorescence detection. One of these approaches was exploited by the Xiralite GmbH/mivenion GmbH who developed the commercial fluorescence imager Xiralite. Using this device, medical doctors can evaluate the microcirculation in the hands of patients.

The present project aims at the development of a new system that extends the information accessible from the present Xiralite fluorescence imager. The new system is expected to improve diagnosis and therapy of rheumatoid diseases. By exploiting the experiences with the Xiralite imager, laboratory investigation shall help to optimize the fluorescence detection of the new system.

Publications

D. Grosenick, H. Wabnitz, and B. Ebert, “Review: Recent advances in contrast-enhanced near infrared diffuse optical imaging of diseases using indocyanine green,” J. Near Infrared Spectrosc. 20(1), 203–221 (2012) [doi:10.1255/jnirs.964].

T. Dziekan, C. Weissbach, J. Voigt, B. Ebert, R. Macdonald, M. L. Bahner, M. Mahler, M. Schirner, M. Berliner, B. Berliner, J. Osel, and I. Osel, “Detection of rheumatoid arthritis by evaluation of normalized variances of fluorescence time correlation functions.,” J. Biomed. Opt. 16(7), 076015 (2011) [doi:10.1117/1.3599958].

B. Ebert, J. Voigt, R. Macdonald, U. Schneider, A. Thomas, B. Hamm, and K.-G. A. Hermann, “Detection of rheumatoid arthritis using non-specific contrast enhanced fluorescence imaging.,” Acad. Radiol. 17(3), 375–381 (2010) [doi:10.1016/j.acra.2009.09.016].