LSCI Blood Flow Imaging With White-Light Tissue Overlay
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current CBF monitoring techniques during cerebrovascular surgery are inadequate for continuous, real-time visualization, as they often require invasive procedures, contrast agents, or are limited to single-point measurements, disrupting surgical workflows.
Innovation Solution
Integration of laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) into surgical microscopes for continuous, real-time visualization of cerebral blood flow, enabling simultaneous overlay with white light imaging to provide comprehensive blood flow visualization during surgeries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If current CBF monitoring techniques (ICGA, DSA, doppler) are used, then blood flow information can be obtained, but they require invasive procedures, contrast agents, or are limited to single-point measurements, disrupting surgical workflows
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines LSCI blood flow imaging with white light anatomical imaging into a single integrated system. The LSCI module and white light module share the same optical path and imaging sensor, allowing simultaneous acquisition of blood flow and anatomical information without requiring separate invasive procedures or contrast agents. This merging eliminates workflow disruption while maintaining monitoring accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
LSCI is a self-service technique that uses intrinsic optical properties of blood (light scattering by moving red blood cells) to generate blood flow images without requiring external contrast agents or invasive catheters. The system automatically captures and processes blood flow information from the surgical field, enabling continuous monitoring that does not interrupt surgical procedures.
2Productivity
If LSCI is integrated into surgical microscopes for continuous visualization, then real-time blood flow information is available, but image registration and overlay complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex manual image registration procedures with automated computational algorithms. The system uses image processing techniques to automatically align LSCI blood flow images with white light anatomical images based on spatial coordinates and transformation matrices, eliminating the need for manual adjustment and reducing operational complexity despite the dual-imaging capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an image processing module as an intermediary between the LSCI and white light imaging modules. This module handles the complex tasks of image registration, overlay, and fusion automatically, shielding the user from the underlying complexity while enabling real-time visualization. The intermediary processes images through coordinate transformation and pixel-level overlay to produce the final composite view.
3Loss of information
If multiple imaging modes (LSCI and white light) are overlaid, then comprehensive anatomical and functional information is provided, but image processing and display complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent overlays LSCI blood flow images and white light anatomical images in the same spatial dimension (2D image plane) with precise pixel-level alignment. By using coordinate transformation and registration algorithms, the system merges information from both modalities into a single composite image that preserves anatomical context while adding functional blood flow data, avoiding information loss without requiring multiple separate displays.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
LSCI system allows for continuous, non-invasive, real-time CBF monitoring during neurovascular procedures, providing complementary information to ICGA and not disrupting surgical workflows, enhancing surgical decision-making.
Implementation Method 1
a first light source configured to illuminate blood flow at a target region of a subject; a first camera configured to record a raw laser speckle image of the blood flow
Implementation Method 2
a second light source configured to illuminate tissue at the target region of the subject; a second camera configured to record a white light image of the tissue
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for visualizing blood flow are disclosed. The method generally includes obtaining a laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) image of blood flow; obtaining a white light image of a tissue, the white light image capturing an anatomical structure of a subject in a region associated with the LSCI image of the blood flow; spatially registering the LSCI image and the white light image with one another; overlaying the spatially registered LSCI and white light images; and generating display data which includes the spatially registered LSCI and white light images and that continuously depicts the blood flow overlaying the tissue.