PROJECT SUMMARY
This academic-industrial partnership (AIP) proposal seeks to develop a robust and easy-to-use clinical scanner
for tumor oxygen measurement (oximetry) in cancer patients. By knowing quantitative tumor oxygen levels in
real time, radiotherapy could be better planned and delivered at times when there will be an optimal therapeutic
ratio, thus significantly improving cancer care. The proposed approach seeks to leverage the unique capabilities
of the in vivo electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) oximetry technology that we have developed for
measurement in human subjects into a medical device that is ready for routine clinical use. The scanner can
make direct and repeated measurements of tumor oxygen by typical end-users in a clinical setting. The EPR
research team at the Geisel School of Medicine (Dartmouth College) has successfully demonstrated the clinical
feasibility and safety of EPR oximetry for measuring tumor oxygen in the clinic, and now seeks to expand upon
that success through a collaborative partnership with ViewRay®, a medical-device company that is engaged in
MRI image-guided radiation therapy. The clinical scanner will be designed to make it easier to operate by clinical
staff and sufficiently robust and reliable for its intended use in a variety of clinical settings. The following specific
aims are proposed to achieve the overall objective of developing an advanced EPR scanner for oximetry that is
ready to be manufactured and used in routine clinical care to enhance cancer therapy: (Aim 1) Design and
construct a 600-MHz pulse EPR system for clinical oximetry; (Aim 2) Fabricate a new class of compact,
lightweight, and advanced resonator designs specifically optimized for pO2 measurements in human tumors;
(Aim 3) Develop hardware and software interface with advanced measurement capabilities and user-friendly
operation suitable for use in the clinic; (Aim 4) Assemble, test, and evaluate the scanner for repeated
measurements of oxygen concentration using tissue phantoms and animal models of tumor; and (Aim 5)
Evaluate the efficacy, usability, and safety of the oxygen scanner as a medical device and validate its use to
make oxygen measurements in cancer patients and human factors engineering. The EPR scanner, fully
integrated with the hardware and software modules, will be evaluated in relation to its ability to meet or exceed
regulatory standards and for its practicality as a clinical device. The new first-in-clinical scanner will be a very
valuable tool in the clinic for accurate prognosis and development of effective treatment strategies for cancer
therapy. It can also be a valuable clinical tool for other clinical conditions where tissue oxygen is a critical variable
for decision making, e.g., patients with diabetic peripheral vascular disease.