Raman difference spectra based disease classification

A system comprising:

• a reference database containing a plurality of reference Raman data sets, each reference Raman data set being associated with a known sample and associated with one or more of:
• a known Gleason score and a known clinical outcome and a plurality of reference Raman difference data sets, an illumination source configured to illuminate an unknown sample with substantially monochromatic light to thereby generate scattered photons;
• a spectroscopic device configured to collect a test Raman data set based on said scattered photons;
• a machine readable program code containing executable program instructions;
• and
• a processor operatively coupled to the illumination source and the spectroscopic device, and configured to execute said machine-readable program code so as to perform the following:
• generate a reference Raman difference data set by subtracting a first reference Raman data set from a second reference Raman data set, said first reference Raman data set being associated with first known sample and associated with one or more of a first known Gleason score and a first known clinical outcome, and a second reference Raman dataset being associated with a second known sample and associated with one or more of:
• a second known Gleason score and a second known clinical outcome;
• compare said test Raman data set to said plurality of reference Raman difference data sets, in said reference Raman database using a chemometric technique;
• and based on said comparison, provide a diagnosis of whether said unknown sample has a first Gleason score or a second Gleason score.

A system comprising:

• a reference Raman database containing a plurality of reference Raman datasets and a plurality of reference Raman difference data sets, said reference Raman data set being associated with a known sample and associated with one or more of:
• a known Gleason score and a known clinical outcome;
• means to generate a test Raman data set for an unknown sample;
• means to generate a reference Raman difference data set by subtracting a first reference Raman data set from a second reference Raman data set;
• and
• means to provide a diagnosis of whether said unknown sample has a first Gleason score or a second Gleason score by comparing said test Raman dataset to said plurality of reference Raman difference data sets in said reference Raman database using a chemometric technique.

A storage medium containing machine readable program code, which, when executed, by a processor, causes said processor to perform the following:

• configure an illumination source to illuminate an unknown sample with substantially monochromatic light to thereby generate scattered photons;
• configure a spectroscopic device to collect a test Raman data set based on said scattered photons;
• generate a reference Raman difference data set by subtracting a first reference Raman dataset and a second reference Raman data set;
• compare said test Raman data set to a plurality of reference Raman difference data sets using a chemometric technique;
• and
• based on said comparing, provide a diagnosis of whether said unknown sample has a first Gleason score or a second Gleason score.