Intraoperative biopsy imaging of lung cancer risk

Before surgical resection of lung tumor, intraoperative biopsy is needed for cancer diagnosis, while current techniques that guide biopsy have limited performance in tumor identification and boundary determination. Remodeling of extracellular matrix (ECM), mainly collagen and elastin fibers, is an emerging hallmark of tumorigenesis. Herein, we establish a quantitative multiphoton microscopy (MPM) imaging method for time-efficient, highly-sensitive lung cancer detection via characterization of ECM remodeling. From label-free images of collagen and elastin fibers acquired simultaneously, we construct a similarity coefficient (SC) metric to describe their interaction, and further develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-ECM framework by producing a fiber voxel dictionary via unsupervised learning of morpho-structural features for explainable and visible assessments of cancer risk. The application is demonstrated by ex vivo human lung cancer diagnosis with a sensitivity of 99.37%, and recognizing the tumor boundary. The translational potential is further revealed via in vivo imaging of a murine model harboring human lung cancer. This technology can help surgeons perform more precise biopsies and surgeries by providing explainable visual cues, thus leading to better outcomes for lung cancer patients. During lung cancer surgery, doctors need to quickly find the exact tumor location and its edges to take a suitable sample for diagnosis. Current methods can be slow and sometimes miss the tumor. We develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted fast imaging method to see the microscopic fiber structures surrounding lung cells. In cancer, these fibers change their layout. Our system images these changes without needing to add any additional dyes or labels and uses AI to instantly analyze them, creating easy-to-understand color-coded maps that highlight cancerous areas. For human lung tissues, our method identifies cancer with over 99% accuracy and clearly shows the tumor boundary. We also prove it works in living animals. This technology can help surgeons perform more precise biopsies and surgeries, leading to better outcomes for lung cancer patients in the future. Qian, Yang et al. create an AI-powered imaging tool to aid surgeons by visually highlighting cancerous regions in the lung based on structural changes in the extracellular matrix. This system detects tumors with high sensitivity and clearly outlines their edges, enabling more precise tissue sampling and surgical resection.