Optical Cells with Biological Applications

Background:
NICHD is seeking statements of capability or interest from parties interested in collaborative research and/or partnership agreements to develop, evaluate, or commercialize optical cells with tissue pathology diagnostic applications. Apart from pathology diagnostics, potential applications of the cell include quality control, detection of impurities in chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing, characterization of materials, and forensics.

Technology:
Infrared micro-spectroscopy and related techniques can resolve distribution of multiple chemical components in a specimen in space and time. Applications of these techniques are usually limited by stringent requirements on sample handling and hydration because water and most organic materials strongly absorb infrared light, limiting the light path through a specimen to a few microns. Such a short path is difficult to stabilize for reproducible measurements in soft, solvated samples. To improve the reproducibility, specimens are often dehydrated. Dehydration alters conformation and function of many molecules, smears the spectra, and reduces the number of resolved components. The invented cell allows sample maintenance in a controlled solution and the ability to increase spectral reproducibility at the same time. These features open new dimensions for industrial, forensic, chemical and biological applications.

Further R&D Needed:
Development of specific diagnostics applications and adapting cell design for robust diagnostics.

R&D Status:

• A cell prototype is ready for commercial manufacturing
• Quantitative assay of cartilage sections for spatial distribution of different glycosaminoglycans, collagen, collagen orientation, and non-collagenous proteins
• These components exhibit abnormal distributions in various connective tissues with vascular diseases, cancers and other pathologies

IP Status:

• U.S. Patent 7,355,697 issued 08 April 2008
• International Patent Application No. PCT/US2005/030218 filed 25 Aug 2005, which published as WO 2006/026342 on 09 Mar 2006
• European Patent Application 05786373.9 filed 26 Aug 2005
• U.S. Patent Application No. 11/826,806 filed 18 Jul 2007

Value Proposition:

• Label-free, real-time imaging of (bio)chemical and physical processes in solutions with 3-10mm spatial resolution
• Ability to deliver reagents and conduct chemical reactions during spectral recording
• Two orders of magnitude improvement in reproducibility of infrared spectra of samples submerged in changeable solutions, solvents or gases
• Increased number of resolved components
• Quantitative evaluation of intracellular and extracellular chemical composition in tissue sections and cell cultures

Contact Information:
Joseph M. Conrad, J.D., Ph.D.
NCI Technology Transfer Center
Phone: 301-435-3107
E-mail: jmconrad@mail.nih.gov

Reference:  #700 JC

Posted 07/16/2008