BOHEMIA, N.Y., Nov. 15 -- An advance in biomedical imaging is comparable to the transition from still photos to movies, according to Advanced BioPhotonics Inc., a Long Island-based developer of medical imaging applications using advanced infrared technology. The company announced this week a research agreement with the Research Foundation of the State University of New York, a nonprofit, educational corporation acting on behalf of Stony Brook University and the Center for Biotechnology, a New York State Center for Advanced Technology. They will investigate the use of Advanced BioPhotonics' dynamic infrared imaging technology in cancer drug discovery, the diagnosis of breast cancer and in other potential applications. Terry Button, PhD, associate professor in the biomedical engineering and radiology department at Stony Brook, will conduct the research. The University Medical Center at Stony Brook will use BioPhotonics' BioScanIR System, a medical imaging device that uses a radiation-free method to detect diseases that affect blood perfusion (the movement of blood from the cardiovascular system into and through organs/tissues). The agreement can be continued for up to five years. "The BioScanIR moves biomedical infrared from a stationary imaging technology to a dynamic imaging technology," Button said. "This is the equivalent to the advancement from still photos to moving pictures in photography. With this advancement, we can observe blood perfusion and plan to use this capability to study the BioScanIR's application to a variety of clinical challenges, including the detection of cancer, monitoring therapies, wound healing and guidance of surgery, to name a few." The project will be co-sponsored by the Center for Biotechnology, a state-funded organization that helps New York's life sciences industry use the resources of the university to develop products. For more information, visit: www.advancedbp.com