Neurosurgeons typically have to wait 30 to 40 minutes for pathologists to process and interpret brain tumor tissue, but a new technique cuts that down to about three minutes.

Researchers from Michigan Medicine of the University of Michigan developed the stimulated Raman histology technique and were the first to execute it. A study was recently published in the journal National Biomedical Engineering.

A total of 101 neurosurgical patients were included in the study. Neuropathologists were given 30 specimen samples that were processed with SRH or traditional methods.
Each received the same information about each patient's medical history and the location of the tumor. They were then asked to make a diagnosis.

The UM researchers found that the pathologists were equally likely to make a correct diagnosis whether SRH or conventional slides were used. However, SRH generated results much faster.



SRH is based on a technology called stimulated Raman scattering microscopy, which was discovered in 2008. At the time, it involved hazardous lasers that couldn't be used in the operating room, but for over a year now a clinical version has been under testing in UM's operating room.

SRH uses virtual coloring to highlight the cellular and architectural features of brain tumors, which is similar to the results from traditional staining. The pathologist can then differentiate the tumor tissue from normal brain tissue.

This technique is especially useful for small hospitals that don't have access to expert neuropathologists. The researchers noted that bringing SRH to smaller hospitals would extend their capabilities because the images can be interpreted remotely.

The UM research team is currently working on improving the SRH technique through artificial intelligence. They built a validated machine learning process that can predict brain tumor subtype with 90 percent accuracy.

The next step is a large-scale clinical trial that confirms the NBE study.

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