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Low-cost augmented reality goggles enable precision fluorescence-guided cancer surgery
Leonid Shmuylovich1,2, Christine M O'Brien1,3, Karen Nwosu1
1Biophotonics Research Center, Department of Radiology, Washington University in Saint Louis School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO.
Abstract:
Disparities in surgical outcomes often result from subjective than objective decisions dictated by surgical training, experience, and available resources. To improve outcomes, surgeons have adopted advancements in robotics, endoscopy, and intra-operative imaging including fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS), which highlight tumors in real-time without using ionizing radiation. However, like many medical innovations, technical, economic, and logistic challenges have hindered widespread adoption of FGS beyond high-resource centers. To overcome these impediments, we developed the fully-wearable and battery-powered fluorescence imaging augmented reality Raspberry Pi-based goggle system (FAR-Pi). Novel device design ensures distance-independent coalignment between real and augmented FAR-Pi views and offers higher spatial resolution, depth of focus, and fluorescence detection sensitivity than existing bulkier, pricier, and wall-powered technologies. When paired with pan-tumor targeting fluorescent agents such as LS301, FAR-Pi objectively identifies tumors in vivo. As an open-source, affordable, and adaptable system, FAR-Pi is poised to democratize access to FGS and improve health outcomes worldwide.
Insights
Surgeons can now use the affordable, wearable FAR-Pi system for real-time fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS). This technology democratizes access to advanced imaging, aiming to improve surgical outcomes globally.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Surgical Technology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Surgical outcome disparities are often linked to subjective decisions influenced by training and resource limitations.
- Fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS) offers real-time, non-ionizing tumor visualization but faces adoption barriers in resource-limited settings.
- Existing FGS technologies are often bulky, expensive, and require substantial power infrastructure.
Approach:
- Developed a fully-wearable, battery-powered fluorescence imaging augmented reality system named FAR-Pi, based on Raspberry Pi.
- Engineered the device for seamless coalignment of real and augmented views, independent of viewing distance.
- Achieved superior spatial resolution, depth of focus, and fluorescence detection sensitivity compared to current systems.
Key Points:
- The FAR-Pi system provides objective tumor identification in vivo when used with targeted fluorescent agents like LS301.
- Its open-source nature, affordability, and adaptability facilitate broader implementation of FGS.
- Novel design overcomes technical, economic, and logistic challenges associated with traditional FGS.
Conclusions:
- The FAR-Pi system has the potential to democratize access to fluorescence-guided surgery.
- This innovation aims to improve surgical precision and patient outcomes worldwide, particularly in underserved areas.
- FAR-Pi represents a significant advancement in making advanced surgical imaging accessible and practical.
