The Incredible Cancer-Detecting Potential of Photoacoustic Imaging | Lei Li | TED

翻译人员: Yip Yan Yeung 校对人员: Helen Chang

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths globally.

乳腺癌是全球致死率 最高的癌症之一。

About one in eight US women will develop invasive breast cancer

每八位美国女性中就有一位会

over the course of their lifetime.

在她们的一生中 患上浸润性乳腺癌。

And globally, millions of women suffer from breast cancer every year.

全球每年有几百万女性 受到乳腺癌的折磨。

But it is quite treatable if detected early.

但是，如果检测及时， 乳腺癌还是可以治疗的。

Right now, actually, mammography is the gold standard

其实现在，乳房X线照相术是

for breast cancer diagnosis.

诊断乳腺癌的黄金标准。

But mammography has a 10 percent chance of missed detection.

但是乳房X线照相术 有一成几率漏诊。

Thousands of lives could be lost each year

每年，成百上千的人

because of this 10 percent.

会因这一成几率丧命。

Today, I’m going to introduce a new technology:

今天，我要介绍一项新技术：

photoacoustic imaging.

光声成像。

As you can see,

你可以看到，

it provides a much clearer image,

它能产出更清晰的图像，

leading to a more accurate diagnosis.

带来更精确的诊断。

It will be affordable, just like an ultrasound scan.

它价格合理， 类似一次超声波检查。

It's painless and fast,

无痛且迅速，

taking only 15 seconds to scan the entire breast in 3D.

三维扫描整个乳房 只需要花 15 秒。

And immediate results will be delivered to the patients.

即时结果会发给患者。

Beyond breast imaging,

不只是乳房成像，

this technology will broadly transform how we see inside our bodies --

这项技术会广泛地应用于 我们对身体内部的观察，

and, maybe one day, even allow us to diagnose cancer

也许有朝一日，甚至可以让我们

via a wearable watch-like device

通过可穿戴手表类装备诊断癌症，

that monitors circulating tumor cells.

监测循环肿瘤细胞。

So what is photoacoustic imaging?

那么，光声成像是什么？

Based on a photoacoustic effect,

根据光声效应，

it is a conversion of light energy into sound energy.

光能会转化成声能。

We shot a gentle laser pulse onto the tissue.

我们将一束柔和激光束射向组织，

The light is absorbed, raising its temperature a bit.

光被吸收，温度略微升高。

The rise in temperature leads to a tiny fraction of volume expansion,

温度的升高引起了少量体积膨胀，

which, in turn, generates acoustic waves.

继而产生声波。

Sensors process those sound signals,

传感器通过处理这些声信号，

resulting in a high-resolution image

产生高分辨率图像，

whose level of clarity and detail far surpasses

清晰度和包含的细节远远超过了

what you've got with traditional CT scans or ultrasound.

传统CT或超声检查的效果。

Now, about me.

现在说说我自己。

I started out in industrial optics,

我从工业光学开始，

but changed direction

但是在我的祖父母因癌症 和中风去世后转变了方向。

after my grandparents died of cancer and stroke.

I realized that we needed better imaging technology

我意识到我们需要 更好的图像技术，

to aid early diagnosis

帮助早期诊断，

and to provide a better understanding of the diseases.

让我们更好地掌握疾病。

So I decided to devote myself to biomedical optical imaging.

所以我决定致力于 生物医学光成像。

I now research and develop next generation medical imaging

我现在在研发下一代的医学成像，

with applications ranging from diagnosing cancer

应用于诊断癌症、

to mapping brain functions

记录脑功能、

and navigating medical micro robots for drug delivery.

引导医用微型机器人 用于药物输送。

Here are some examples showing what we can do.

以下是几个我们能做到的例子。

Take this mouse.

比如这只老鼠。

The mouse has been virtually sliced into 600 pieces from head to toe.

这只老鼠从头到脚被虚拟地 切成了 600 片。

It took only 12 seconds to complete the whole body scan.

全身扫描只需要 12 秒。

It looks a little like a mouse carpaccio.

看起来有点像“生鼠片”。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But don't worry, no mice were hurt during the imaging.

但是别担心，成像中 没有老鼠受到了伤害。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

In this next video,

这一段影片里，

we hold the animal, another mouse, in position to image its liver.

我们让一只动物，另一只老鼠， 保持肝脏摄影的位置。

The liver has a lot of blood vessels inside.

肝脏内部有很多血管。

You can see them as a tree-like network.

你可以看到它们呈树状网络。

Because our imaging exposure time is too short, only 15 microseconds,

由于我们的成像曝光时间 过短，只有 15 微秒，

there is no blur at all,

图像完全没有模糊，

despite the movement of the animal during the imaging.

即使动物会在成像 过程会动来动去。

The mouse is breathing normally,

老鼠正常呼吸，

and every frame in our video is clear.

我们视频的每一帧都是清晰的。

With each slice we can clearly see the internal structure

通过每一片，我们都可以 清晰地看到它的内部结构

and the blood vessel network.

和血管网络。

This enables us to differentiate a tumor from normal tissue.

这让我们可以区分 肿瘤和正常组织。

The light dose we use is well below the safety limit,

我们使用的光剂量 远远低于安全限度，

and we don't need to inject any contrast agents.

我们也不需要注射任何造影剂。

It is totally non-invasive.

完全是非侵入式的。

Now, for an example, that is a little closer to home.

比如现在这个例子， 更贴近我们的生活。

This is a side by side comparison of human brain images.

这是人体脑部图像的对比图。

On the left, you see an image from an MRI.

左边是一张核磁共振的图像。

On the right, from photoacoustic imaging.

右边是一张光声图像。

Photoacoustic imaging can reveal detailed vasculature,

光声成像可以展示 精确的脉管系统，

but with even faster detection of the brain functions

但是更快地检测脑功能，

and without using the costly high-magnetic field.

且不使用昂贵的高磁场。

What you are seeing here is the brain's activity,

你现在看到的是脑活动，

where a patient, now a human this time,

患者，这次是一个人类，

taps his finger, puckers his lips,

轻敲他的手指，撅起嘴，

taps his tongue and is listening and thinking of words.

动动舌头，听着想着词语。

Although I don't have a visual for it, I'd like to share one more example.

虽然我没有视觉资料， 但是我还想分享另外一个例子。

In science fiction,

在科幻小说里，

micro robots enter our bodies to cure diseases

微型机器人钻进我们的身体

难以触及的区域治疗疾病。

in hard-to-reach areas.

However, in reality,

然而，实际上，

locating, guiding and controlling them inside of the body is a big challenge.

在体内定位、引导、 控制它们是个很大的挑战。

Just like the satellites in space guiding cars to their destinations,

就像太空中的卫星 为汽车导航至目的地，

a photoacoustic imaging system outside the body

体外的光声成像系统

can serve similarly as a GPS for the micro robots.

类似给微型机器人 提供全球定位系统。

Biomedical optics has come a long way.

生物医学光学发展已久。

The microscope used every day in modern medical diagnosis

现代医学诊断中每日使用的显微镜

was invented in the 17th century,

是 17 世纪发明的，

which revolutionized 19th century medicine by letting us see into a cell.

彻底改变了 19 世纪的医学， 让我们可以看得清细胞。

Then, optical coherence tomography developed in 1990s

随后，光学相干层析成像在 上世纪 90 年代被研发出来，

increased optical penetration to 1 millimeter,

将光穿透增至一毫米，

bringing huge benefits to clinical care for skin and eyes.

造福了皮肤和眼部的临床护理。

Now, photoacoustic imaging,

如今，光声成像

first adopted for medical use in the 2000s,

在二十世纪初第一次被使用，

allows us to see even more,

让我们能看见更多，

allowing penetration by another order of magnitude,

让穿透力更进一步

to several centimeters,

至几厘米，

allowing organ-level in vivo human imaging.

让活体人体成像达到器官水平。

Photoacoustic imaging is a highly-active and a fast-growing research field.

光声成像是一个非常活跃、 成长迅速的研究领域。

Using microwaves instead of light,

用微波代替光线，

this imaging method holds promises for whole body penetration in humans

这项成像技术有希望在未来

达到人体全身穿透。

in the future.

We are hoping that the further advancement of this technology

我们希望这项技术未来的发展

will aid early diagnosis of cancer and brain diseases,

可以帮助癌症 和脑部疾病的早期诊断，

ultimately benefiting global health.

最终造福全球的人类健康。

I hope you all can share my excitement over this fast-growing field

希望你能感受到 我对这个飞速发展领域的兴奋，

and hope you'll join us in advancing the technology.

期待你可以加入我 为这项技术做出贡献。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）