---

The distinction between tumor and healthy tissue is not always clear with current examination standards. The precise delineation of the tumor margin area is particularly challenging and may require tissue removal or microscopic examinations of biopsies with highly variable time requirements.

Now, the targeted combination of several optical procedures should make (unambiguous) diagnostics considerably easier. The project aims at the development and investigation of a novel, multimodal endoscopic probe, which, in addition to spatially resolved imaging in the visible light range, offers the possibility to obtain depth-resolved structural information by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and metabolic information by two-photon excitation microscopy (2PEF).

If the project is successfully completed, the main beneficiaries of these developments will be all endoscopy patients, whose pathological needs can be addressed more gently and with less time through more targeted, efficient diagnostics. The new technology offers high potential for better, faster and more sparing treatment solutions in terms of prevention, early detection and diagnosis of cancer. Therefore the procedure also supports the shift away from traditional open surgery to minimally invasive procedures.

The project results on multimodal endoscopy systems also flow directly into the teaching content of the “Medical Engineering” and “Biotechnology” degree programs in Jena. The process chains developed to produce DOEs will also be incorporated into the curricula of the “Laser- and Optotechnologies” and “Scientific Instrumentation” courses.