Aug 26 2010
The National Cancer Institute has awarded a new $750,000 grant to Spectral Molecular Imaging under the Small Business Innovation Research Initiative program. The initiative is a part of the federal government’s program designed to speed up the transition of key technology from the lab to the market. Spectral Molecular Imaging will receive the award through a partnership with Omega Optical.
The grant will enable the development of advanced medical endoscopic devices featuring patented multispectral imaging technology. Spectral Molecular Imaging’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Daniel L. Farkas, and Omega Optical’s Director of Research, Gary Carver, are the principal investigators of the project.
The project team plans to use the fiber-optic wavelength selection equipment in the biomedical imaging applications. The collaboration of experts from biomedical and telecom industries is expected to result in earlier detection and treatment of cancer and other disease conditions.
The program primarily aims at developing a prototype multispectral endoscope and its subsequent preclinical testing. The project is scheduled to be completed in the next two years. The preclinical testing will be conducted at the Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.