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Real-time Near-infrared Virtual Intraoperative Surgical Photoacoustic Microscopy
Changho Lee1, Donghyun Lee2, Qifa Zhou3
1Research Center for Advanced Robotic Surgery based on Deep Tissue Imaging and Haptic Feedback Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea ; Future IT Innovation Laboratory, Department of Creative IT Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea.
Abstract:
We developed a near infrared (NIR) virtual intraoperative surgical photoacoustic microscopy (NIR-VISPAM) system that combines a conventional surgical microscope and an NIR light photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) system. NIR-VISPAM can simultaneously visualize PA B-scan images at a maximum display rate of 45 Hz and display enlarged microscopic images on a surgeon's view plane through the ocular lenses of the surgical microscope as augmented reality. The use of the invisible NIR light eliminated the disturbance to the surgeon's vision caused by the visible PAM excitation laser in a previous report. Further, the maximum permissible laser pulse energy at this wavelength is approximately 5 times more than that at the visible spectral range. The use of a needle-type ultrasound transducer without any water bath for acoustic coupling can enhance convenience in an intraoperative environment. We successfully guided needle and injected carbon particles in biological tissues ex vivo and in melanoma-bearing mice in vivo.

