Michigan State compact Raman system assists early stage cancer detection

22 Dec 2025

New device combines a swept-source laser with a single-photon detector.

A project at Michigan State University (MSU) has developed a novel Raman platform designed to assist early detection of cancer.

Described in Optica, the new device could lead to improved cancer therapies as well as making molecular imaging more practical outside the lab.

The ability of Raman spectroscopy to identify molecular-level spectral fingerprints has made it an attractive route to diagnostic information and identification of early-stage tumors, especially in its surface-enhanced (SERS) variant.

But the effectiveness of the Raman system still relies on on the optical architecture involved, noted the MSU project, with inherent limitations placed on its sensitivity and potential for miniaturization.

The MSU solution involves using swept-source Raman spectroscopy (SSRS) alongside a high-sensitivity detector, to enhance detection efficiency to a level comparable to or better than conventional dispersive Raman platforms.

This combination is designed to detect the very faint signals from SERS nanoparticles bound to tumor markers. After the particles are applied to a sample or the area being examined, the imaging system reads their signal and automatically highlights spots that are likely to contain tumor tissue.

Another element of the system is a fiber-coupled superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD), a leading-edge technology known for its high sensitivity and low background noise with increasing applications in the biomedical imaging area, noted MSU in its paper.

Rapid cancer screening tool

"Combining this advanced detector with a swept‑source Raman architecture that replaces a bulky camera and collects light more efficiently results in a system with a detection limit well beyond that of comparable commercial systems," said Zhen Qiu from the MSU Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering (IQ). "Also, the fiber coupling configuration and compact design facilitate system miniaturization and future clinical translation."

In trials the system employed SERS nanoparticles coated with hyaluronan acid, which then bind to CD44, a surface protein expressed in many tumor cells. After proving that the imaging platform could achieve femtomolar sensitivity applied to simple solutions of the nanoparticles, the device was applied to cultured breast cancer cells, mouse tumors and healthy tissues.

"The SERS signals were strongly concentrated in tumor samples, with only minimal background detected in healthy tissue," said Qiu. "This demonstrates both the system’s exceptional sensitivity and its ability to provide reliable tumor‑versus‑healthy contrast. By adjusting or substituting the targeting molecule, this method could be adapted for other cancer types."

The project's next steps will be to to improve the imaging speed, by using alternative laser sources such as VCSELs or by narrowing the sweep range. They also plan to conduct multiplexing experiments with different nanoparticles that target multiple biomarkers simultaneously.

"Traditional methods for cancer-related diagnosis are time-consuming and labor-intensive because they require staining tissue samples and having a pathologist look for any abnormalities," said Zhen Qiu. "While our system would not immediately replace pathology, it could serve as a rapid screening tool to accelerate diagnosis."