Intraoperative brain tumor resection with indocyanine green using augmented microscopy

Treatment outcomes for brain cancer have seen dismal improvements over the last two decades as evident in available statistical data. Efforts to address this challenge include development of near-infrared contrast agents for improvements in diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. This creates a need for imaging technologies that can support the intraoperative use of such agents. Here, we report implementation of a recently introduced augmented microscope in combination with indocyanine green (ICG), a near-infrared contrast agent, for surgical image guidance of a glioma resection in a rat model. Luc-C6 cells were implanted in rats in the left-frontal lobe and grown for 22 days. Surgical resection was performed by a neurosurgeon using the augmented microscope with ICG contrast. ICG accumulated in the tumor tissue due to enhanced permeation and retention from the compromised blood-brain barrier. Videos and images were acquired to evaluate image quality and resection margins. The augmented microscope highlighted tumor tissue regions via visualization of ICG fluorescence and was capable of guiding the rat glioma resection.