The main purpose of this proposal is to obtain the biomechanical properties of cellular structures from acoustic wave data scattered and transmitted from healthy and/or cancerous cells interacting with acoustic waves of a certain frequency or frequency range, and the quantum-based imaging information of the thermal emission information resulting from the vibration movement in cellular structures as a result of this acoustic interaction. Thus, the sensitivity and detail of the data that will be effective in the preliminary diagnosis of healthy cells that have the possibility of turning into cancer will be increased.

In the related proposal, as a result of the interaction of cancerous and healthy cells with high-frequency acoustic waves, vibration movement will occur in cellular structures and accordingly thermal (emission in the infrared region) emission will occur at a certain energy/intensity and a certain wavelength.

Since this thermal emission is micro-sized and low-intensity, it is planned to obtain characteristic information related to thermal emission, especially with a thermal microscopic imaging system. In addition, due to the very low intensity, i.e. the low number of photons emitted per unit time, it is planned to develop a quantum-based thermal microscopic cancer screening device with the integration of a quantum sensor/detector-based sensor in order to increase detection sensitivity.
Here, due to the micro-size of the detection, it is planned to develop an imaging system that can perform original thermal microscopic imaging of thermal emission information.

In this way, it is aimed to perceive both physical and geometric optical information of thermal emission in micron size in detail. Due to the low intensity of thermal emission information in microscopic size, it is planned to integrate a quantum-based sensor or detector structure (quantum imaging) to increase the detail and sensitivity of imaging information of healthy and/or cancerous cellular structures.
Advantages and innovation
As a scanning device, it is aimed to determine the biomechanical properties of cellular structures from the acoustic wave data scattered and transmitted from healthy and/or cancerous cellular samples interacting with acoustic waves at a certain frequency or frequency range. In this way, a biomechanical data bank of cancerous and healthy cells will be created and thus, the development process of our project for a preliminary diagnosis device that can make a preliminary diagnosis of healthy cells that are cancerous and/or have a possibility of cancer to a certain extent is ongoing.

In the project proposal, which is an upgraded version of our current project, it is aimed to increase the prediction/estimation feature of the device that makes a preliminary diagnosis of cells taken from the intestines of a healthy person, of healthy cells that have the possibility of turning into cancer, by perceiving the thermal emission created by the vibration in the cell as a result of this interaction, in addition to the acoustic wave data scattered from the cellular structure, as data and increasing the accuracy.

In order to increase the detection sensitivity, it is aimed to integrate a system that can perform quantum-based thermal detection. In this project output, it is planned to develop a medical imaging device integrated with quantum imaging. With the scanning device of the project, it will be possible to distinguish any biological microorganism other than cancerous and healthy intestinal cells.
Technical Specification or Expertise Sought
Our expectations from our potential partners in our project can be listed as follows. I would like to state that we are very willing to work with partners who have worked or want to work in the development of micro thermal and/or quantum imaging systems, especially in the medical field.

1) Having worked on the biophysical properties of cellular structures in microfluidic systems using surface acoustic waves for the analysis of living cellular structures.

2) Having worked on thermal microscope modeling, simulation and design for the detection of thermal emission resulting from a dynamic interaction of cellular structures.

3) In the biomedical field, it is planned to integrate a quantum imaging system to increase the sensitivity of thermal detection, especially at very small and low intensity (such as a cell that emits thermal radiation…).

4) It is aimed to integrate a quantum detector/sensor into the system to increase the imaging quality and sensitivity of micro thermal detection at the prototype level.

Framework program
Horizon Europe
Call title and identifier
EIC Pathfinder Open
Submission and evaluation scheme
This program aims to take forward breakthrough deep tech projects with a high degree of scientific and technological ambition and risk and potential to create a new market (TRL 1-4). It is a one stage call.
Anticipated project budget
3 Million Euro
Coordinator required
No
Deadline for EoI
06/01/2025
Deadline of the call
21/05/2025
Project duration in weeks
144
Web link to the call
https://eic.ec.europa.eu/eic-funding-opportunities/eic-pathfinder_en
Project title and acronym
Quantum Based Thermal-Acoustic Cancer Screening and Preliminary Diagnosis Device