Biocompatible Near-Infrared Three-Dimensional Tracking System.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Surgical Technology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Soft-tissue surgery faces challenges with target tissue movement, deformation, and occlusion by blood or other tissues.
• Accurate real-time tracking of surgical tools and target anatomy is crucial for successful outcomes.
• Existing optical tracking methods can be hindered by the dynamic and occluded nature of the surgical field.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and present a novel 3D tracking system for surgical applications.
• To overcome limitations of current tracking methods, particularly in the presence of occlusion.
• To evaluate the accuracy of the new system compared to standard optical tracking.

Main Methods:

• Development of small, biocompatible near-infrared fluorescent (NIRF) markers.
• Integration of a novel fused plenoptic and NIR camera system for 3D tracking.
• Comparative analysis of tracking accuracy using robotic experiments against standard optical tracking.

Main Results:

• The developed system achieves high tracking accuracy for tools and target tissue.
• Tracking accuracy was measured at 1.61 mm at 1 mm/s speed.
• Accuracy degraded minimally to 1.71 mm when markers were occluded by blood and tissue.

Conclusions:

• The novel NIRF marker and fused camera tracking system effectively addresses challenges in soft-tissue surgery.
• The system demonstrates robust 3D tracking capabilities, even under occluded conditions.
• This technology has the potential to improve precision and safety in surgical procedures.