Towards an Implantable Fluorescence Image Sensor for Real-Time Monitoring of Immune Response in Cancer Therapy

Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2021 Nov:2021:7399-7403. doi: 10.1109/EMBC46164.2021.9631061.

Abstract

Real-time monitoring of cellular-level changes inside the body provides key information regarding disease progression and therapy assessment for critical care including cancer therapy. Current state-of-the-art oncological imaging methods impose unnecessary latencies to detect small cell foci. Invasive methods such as biopsies, on the other hand, cause disruption if deployed on a repeated basis. Therefore, they are not practical for real-time assessments of the tumor tissue. This work presents a proof-of-concept design for an implantable fluorescence lensless image sensor to address the pervasive challenge of real-time tracking of the immune response in immunotherapy. The 2.4x4.7 mm2 integrated circuit (IC) prototype consists of a 36 by 40 pixel array, a laser driver and a power management unit harvesting power and transferring 11.5 kbits/frame through a wireless ultrasound link while implanted 2 cm deep inside the body. Compared to prior art, this is the first full-fledged wireless system implementing chip-scale fluorescence microscopy to the best of our knowledge.Clinical relevance- This prototype can be used to personalize immunotherapy for the 50% of cancer patients who do not initially respond to the therapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Fluorescence
  • Humans
  • Immunity
  • Neoplasms* / therapy
  • Prostheses and Implants*