Small PET-guided probe for laparoscopic prostate cancer surgery
Official title: Optimizing PET Radio-Guided Probes for Laparoscopic Surgery: Small Compton-Angles Collimation for Increased SNR and Size and Weight Reduction
Funded at University of California at Davis · NIH-11263716 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Trying a tiny PET-guided probe to help surgeons find and remove prostate cancer during laparoscopic operations.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R03 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California at Davis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Davis, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2025 |
| Project end | November 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $80,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R03EB036611-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11263716 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people scheduled for laparoscopic radical prostatectomy who might benefit from intraoperative PET-guided localization.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not having laparoscopic surgery, those undergoing open procedures, or cancers not targeted by PET tracers used here are unlikely to benefit from this probe.
What this research studies
As a patient, I would hear that engineers are designing a thin probe under 12 mm that fits through standard laparoscopic ports so it can be used during prostate removal. The team plans to use a novel small Compton-angle collimation method to detect positron emissions (β+) instead of the usual 511 keV gamma rays to improve signal quality while cutting size and weight. They will build and bench-test prototypes using phantoms and lab measurements to check directionality and signal-to-noise before any work in people. If those tests are successful, the device could move toward trials in surgical settings at the sponsoring institution.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, surgeons could locate cancerous tissue more precisely during laparoscopic prostate surgery, reducing missed tumor regions and possibly lowering recurrence.
How similar studies have gone: Related early work on positron-detecting probes has shown promise but struggled with sensitivity and probe size, so this approach builds on limited prior efforts and is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California at Davis
Davis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mehadji, Brahim — University of California at Davis
- Study coordinator: Mehadji, Brahim
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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.