Detecting cancer tissue in real time
Receiving a brain cancer diagnosis is overwhelming and can evoke profound fear and uncertainty. This anxiety is compounded by the prospect of surgery, which carries significant risks and potential consequences.
Surgeons face the complex challenge of distinguishing between healthy and cancerous tissue during surgery, which can lead to incomplete tumour removal or inadvertent damage to healthy areas. Such outcomes may result in higher recurrence rates and a greater need for repeat surgeries, placing additional strain on an already overburdened healthcare system.
“Giving surgeons the opportunity to identify cancerous tissue with unprecedented precision is more than just a medical breakthrough,” says Frédéric Leblond, a physicist with a passion for improving cancer treatment. “It’s an economic catalyst.”
Leblond started Reveal Surgical in 2015 with Chief of Neurosurgery at McGill University Health Centre, Kevin Petrecca. Together, they conceived the Sentry technology, which uses Raman light scattering to identify cancerous tissue during surgery using a hand-held probe. When laser light hits tissue, it scatters and creates a unique “fingerprint” for each type of tissue, then Sentry's AI engine analyzes this fingerprint in real time, helping surgeons quickly determine if the tissue is cancerous or healthy.
Our system delivers more cost-effective surgeries and frees up critical resources in healthcare systems, and most important, better patient outcomes.
Yesterday’s investments drive results today
He drew inspiration for this technology while researching innovative ways to differentiate healthy and cancerous tissues at Polytechnique Montréal. Leblond emphasizes that the support from Canadian funding programs, especially the CFI, was pivotal in his journey from research to developing cutting-edge cancer surgery solutions. “CFI funding for our equipment laid the foundation for our success,” says Leblond.
