SHANGHAI, November 3, 2023 – A pioneering undergraduate team from the School of Biomedical Engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) has garnered the grand prize in the Life Sciences category at the 18th “Challenge Cup” National College Students’ Extracurricular Academic Science and Technology Contest, held at Guizhou University from October 27 to 31, 2023.

Under the meticulous guidance of Professors Ye Jian and Lin Li, the project named "Raman 'Perspective Eye': A Non-Invasive, Real-Time Localization System for Deep-Seated Lesions in Vivo," stood out among thousands of entries, bringing home the coveted special grand prize of the competition.

The "Challenge Cup" is celebrated biennially as the "Olympics" of technological innovation among college students, advocating the ethos of "Reverence for Science, Pursuit of Truth, Diligence in Learning, Commitment to Innovation, and Embracing Challenges". The competition, co-organized by the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League, the China Association for Science and Technology, the Ministry of Education, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the National Student Federation, and the Guizhou Provincial Government, attracted participation from over 2,000 universities nationwide with more than 400,000 entries from 2.5 million students.

The main contest received 1,745 works for the national competition, and after the preliminaries, 690 works from 344 mainland colleges and universities, along with 23 works from 9 Hong Kong and Macau institutions, were selected for the final review. A total of 117 special grand prizes, 203 first prizes, 377 second prizes, and 974 third prizes, including those from Hong Kong and Macau, were awarded.

The winning project, which began its preparation in November 2022, received continuous guidance from Professors Ye and Lin, with keen attention and support from the leadership at all levels of the college. Supported enthusiastically by the school and the college, the team advanced through the city-level and in-school selection competitions and eventually secured the special grand prize in the national finals, contributing significantly to SJTU’s overall championship success.

Project Introduction:
The “Raman ‘Perspective Eye’” system is designed to address the clinical need for non-invasive detection and three-dimensional localization of deep-seated lesions in living tissues. Overcoming the limitations of current biomedical optical technologies that struggle with in vivo deep-layer detection and 3D lesion localization, the team developed a “slit-enhanced” Raman contrast agent for substantially improved detection depth. Utilizing the logarithmic linear relationship between Raman spectral peak ratios and source depths, a “spectral peak ratio method” was introduced for three-dimensional lesion localization. The Raman “Perspective Eye” system has achieved detection depths greater than 10 cm and a localization accuracy within 2 mm in ex vivo tissues and has performed non-invasive, precise localization and real-time perioperative navigation of deep-seated lesions in live large animals within an actual surgical environment. An engineering prototype for live small animal Raman imaging has been developed, and the project is expected to continue its progress towards clinical application, supporting precise diagnosis and treatment.

The team members, Wu Zongyu, Xie Haoqiang, Luo Yang, and Xia Mingyuan, under the guidance of Professors Ye Jian and Lin Li, have established a new horizon in the biomedical engineering field, embodying SJTU's dedication to innovation and excellence in science and technology.