Development of a handheld fluorescence imaging camera for intraoperative sentinel lymph node mapping.

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Biophotonics
• Surgical Navigation

Background:

• Sentinel lymph node biopsy is crucial for cancer staging.
• Accurate detection of sentinel lymph nodes is vital for treatment planning.
• Current imaging techniques can be limited in accessibility and accuracy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a compact fluorescence imaging system for real-time sentinel lymph node mapping.
• To enhance the accuracy of dye quantification in superficial lymph nodes.
• To create a versatile imaging device for accessible tissue regions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a compact fluorescence imaging system with two near-infrared wavelengths.
• Employed a single charge-coupled device camera for simultaneous fluorescence and anatomical imaging.
• Integrated an absorption correction procedure for improved dye estimation.

Main Results:

• The system demonstrated real-time sentinel lymph node mapping capabilities.
• Experiments on phantoms confirmed improved dye amount estimation in superficial lymph nodes.
• The compact and lightweight camera head allowed access to all regions without adjustments.

Conclusions:

• The developed fluorescence imaging system offers a promising solution for real-time sentinel lymph node mapping.
• The integrated absorption correction enhances the accuracy of dye quantification.
• The system's design facilitates versatile application in various surgical scenarios.