A new optical method to image skin cancers using synthetic waves
Official title: Image Deeper with Synthetic Waves: A Novel Non-Invasive Optical Approach for Skin Lesion Assessment at Multiple Scales
Funded at University of Arizona · NIH-11599416 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A small grant is funding the development and testing of tissue-mimicking skin phantoms to improve non-invasive imaging of skin cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Arizona NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tucson, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2025 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $30,000 |
| NIH project number | 3UG3DA065139-01S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11599416 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with non-melanoma skin lesions whose imaging could be improved by advanced optical techniques.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non-skin cancers or those not undergoing skin imaging are unlikely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
This project aims to advance Synthetic Wavelength Imaging (SWI) to better visualize skin cancers without cutting the skin. Researchers will create realistic skin-like phantoms that mimic tissue properties and how light interacts with them, helping test SWI and other imaging systems. The work will document phantom compositions and methods so clinicians and researchers can reproduce the testing for future diagnostics.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lead to more accurate, non-invasive skin cancer imaging in clinical settings.
How similar studies have gone: Prior imaging phantom development has supported advances in optical diagnostics, but this project focuses on SWI and skin-specific neoplasm phantoms.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Arizona
Tucson, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Willomitzer, Florian — University of Arizona
- Study coordinator: Willomitzer, Florian
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.