Methods for optical identification and characterization of abnormal tissue and cells

A method of diagnosing cancer in a biological tissue of a patient in real-time comprising:

• contacting the biological tissue with an optical probe having a probe tip distally connectable to the optical probe, the probe tip further comprising:
• at least one application element comprising a decladded optical fiber element partially coated with metallic nanosized conductive beads on an outer surface of the decladded optical fiber element, for applying electromagnetic radiation of a first optical wavelength directly to the biological tissue, one or more separate collection elements each of the one or more separate collection elements comprising a plurality of cladded optical fibers positioned around the decladded optical fiber covered with metallic nanosized beads and having an end terminating proximate the distal end of the decladded optical fiber element, a fiber bundle array connector connected to the decladded optical fiber element at a proximal end and the one or more separate collection elements at a distal end, and further wherein the collection elements collect a near-field Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) response signal from the biological tissue in response to the applied electromagnetic radiation, reflected from the biological tissue, and a computer configured to analyze a spectrum of the response signal received from the biological tissue by the one or more separate collection elements;
• emitting electromagnetic radiation of a first wavelength along a length of the decladded optical fiber element in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the decladded optical fiber;
• collecting the near-field Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy response signal from the biological tissue through the collection elements;
• analyzing, with the computer, the collected near-field Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy response signal received from the biological tissue to produce a real-time result to identify one or more molecular signatures of the biological tissue;
• calculate, with the computer, the normal distribution of the molecular signatures of the biological tissue;
• and
• determine, with the computer, a diagnosis of cancer of the biological tissue by comparing the normal distribution of the biological tissue with a benign reference tissue normal distribution.