High-speed imaging accelerates intraoperative cancer diagnostics

CellTivity Scientific develops medical imaging systems for cancer diagnostics, with a focus on intraoperative decision support. In conventional workflows, tissue biopsies collected during procedures are sent to pathology laboratories for analysis, often delaying diagnostic feedback by hours or days. This delay can lead to repeat procedures, extended operating times, or uncertainty about biopsy adequacy.

The company’s objective was to enable rapid, on-site evaluation of freshly excised tissue, allowing clinicians to assess sample quality and cellular activity while the patient is still in the procedure room. Achieving this required a microscopy platform capable of capturing and processing large volumes of interferometric image data at very high speed, without compromising image integrity or timing accuracy.

Technical solution: real-time digital microscopy
To meet these requirements, CellTivity developed the Van Gogh Microscopy System, an FDA-registered imaging platform designed for real-time, intraoperative assessment of tissue biopsies. The system is based on interferometric phase microscopy combined with proprietary Dynamic Cell Imaging (DCI) algorithms, which analyze temporal fluctuations in cellular activity to generate metabolic “heat maps” of tissue samples.

At the core of the system is a high-speed camera capturing short bursts of raw interferometric images at hundreds of frames per second. These images are processed in real time by an onboard Windows-based computer using an Intel Core i9 processor, with results displayed directly in the operating room on a touchscreen interface.

Why high-bandwidth image acquisition was critical
The performance of the Van Gogh system depends on uninterrupted transmission of large data streams from the camera to the processing computer. Any data loss, timing jitter, or CPU overload would compromise the accuracy of phase contrast measurements and slow down analysis.

CellTivity selected a quad-link CoaXPress frame grabber as the interface between the camera and the PC to address these constraints. The solution supports sustained data rates of up to 6.25 Gb/s per link while maintaining deterministic timing, which is essential for interferometric imaging and precise metabolic analysis.

By transmitting video data, control signals, and power over coaxial cables, the CoaXPress interface also simplified system integration and ensured stable operation in a clinical environment.

Eliminating processing bottlenecks
A key requirement for CellTivity was to preserve CPU resources for image reconstruction and analysis rather than data movement. The chosen frame grabber uses a scatter-gather Direct Memory Access (DMA) architecture to stream image data directly into host memory with zero CPU overhead. This design avoids the performance bottlenecks associated with conventional acquisition systems, particularly during peak data loads.

In addition, built-in synchronization mechanisms maintain image alignment even in the presence of electrical interference or PCIe bus congestion. When data packets are delayed or corrupted, the system compensates in real time, preventing buffer misalignment and allowing acquisition to continue without system interruptions.

Deployment and clinical use
The Van Gogh system has been deployed in clinical settings including FirstHealth and Pinehurst Medical clinics in North Carolina, where it is used to support lung cancer diagnostics. During procedures such as bronchoscopy, clinicians can evaluate cellular behavior in real time and distinguish malignant cells from benign findings such as inflammation.

This capability supports Rapid On-Site Evaluation (ROSE), enabling pathology teams to prioritize samples for further analysis and reducing the likelihood of insufficient biopsies.

Results: faster feedback, fewer delays
With the integrated high-speed imaging architecture, the Van Gogh system delivers diagnostic-quality metabolic imaging in an average of 102 seconds. This reduces the feedback cycle from days to under two minutes, allowing clinicians to confirm tissue adequacy during active procedures.

By combining real-time imaging with reliable high-bandwidth data acquisition, CellTivity has reduced diagnostic delays, improved biopsy quality, and supported more efficient clinical decision-making without altering standard procedural workflows.

Long-term collaboration supporting system evolution
CellTivity has integrated the same frame grabber architecture across multiple generations of the Van Gogh platform since early development phases. Consistent hardware availability, deterministic performance, and responsive technical support enabled the company to scale its system design while maintaining regulatory compliance, including FDA requirements.

This long-term integration has provided a stable foundation for continued development of real-time medical imaging capabilities, supporting CellTivity’s goal of accelerating point-of-care cancer diagnostics through digital tissue analysis.

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