Faster Colon Cancer Diagnosis with Infrared Technology

Real time colon histopathology by infrared spectroscopic imaging

NIH-funded research University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign · NIH-11113907

This project is creating a new way to quickly and accurately identify colon cancer using special light and artificial intelligence.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Champaign, United States)
Project IDNIH-11113907 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

Doctors currently face challenges with the time it takes to diagnose colon cancer and the precision of predicting how severe it might be. This project is building a new technology that uses special infrared light to look at the chemical makeup of colon tissues in real-time, without needing traditional dyes. This advanced system is designed to be much faster and more detailed than current methods, and it can be operated by a wider range of medical staff. By combining this imaging with artificial intelligence, we hope to provide quick, accurate, and detailed information about colon tissue, helping doctors make better decisions sooner.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Patients undergoing colon cancer screening or those with suspected colorectal cancer could potentially benefit from this faster and more precise diagnostic method.

Not a fit: Patients who do not require colon cancer screening or diagnosis would not directly benefit from this specific diagnostic technology.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this technology could significantly speed up colon cancer diagnosis and improve the accuracy of predicting disease severity, leading to earlier and more effective treatment.

How similar studies have performed: While molecular techniques are emerging to aid pathology, this project introduces a novel infrared spectroscopic imaging system combined with AI for real-time, reagent-free assessment.

Where this research is happening

Champaign, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions CancerousCancers
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.