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Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Procurement of Parathyroid Glands from Living Donor Pigs and Ex Vivo Identification
Published on: August 1, 2025
Innovative surgical guidance for label-free real-time parathyroid identification
Giju Thomas1, Melanie A McWade1, John Q Nguyen1
1Vanderbilt Biophotonics Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN.
Background:
Difficulty in identifying the parathyroid gland during neck operations can lead to accidental parathyroid gland excisions and postsurgical hypocalcemia. A clinical prototype called as PTeye was developed to guide parathyroid gland identification using a fiber-optic probe that detects near-infrared autofluorescence from parathyroid glands as operating room lights remain on. An Overlay Tissue Imaging System was designed concurrently to detect near-infrared autofluorescence and project visible light precisely onto parathyroid gland location.
Methods:
The PTeye and the Overlay Tissue Imaging System were tested in 20 and 15 patients, respectively, and a modified near-infrared imaging system was investigated in 6 patients. All 41 patients underwent thyroidectomy or parathyroidectomy. System accuracy was ascertained with surgeon's visual confirmation for in situ parathyroid glands and histology for excised parathyroid glands.
Results:
There was no observable difference between near-infrared autofluorescence of healthy and diseased parathyroid glands. The PTeye identified 98% of the parathyroid gland, whereas the near-infrared imaging system and the Overlay Tissue Imaging System identified 100% and 97% of the parathyroid glands, respectively.
Conclusion:
The PTeye can guide in real-time parathyroid gland identification even with ambient operating room lights. The near-infrared imaging system performs parathyroid gland imaging with high sensitivity, whereas the Overlay Tissue Imaging System enhances parathyroid gland visualization directly within the surgical field without requiring display monitors. These label-free technologies can be valuable adjuncts for identifying parathyroid glands intraoperatively.
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