Nervous Tissue Autofluorescence Imaging for Real-Time Nerve Contrast
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical techniques struggle to accurately identify and visualize peripheral nerves and duramadre due to the limitations of existing imaging tools, such as electrical stimulation devices and fluorescent dyes, which can cause inaccuracies and increase patient risk, while methods like CT and MRI have time latency issues, leading to iatrogenic nerve injuries.
Innovation Solution
A nervous tissue imaging system that utilizes endogenous autofluorescence induced by near-ultraviolet light to differentiate nervous tissue from non-nervous tissue by capturing autofluorescence light in a visible light range, without the need for fluorescent markers or dyes, enhancing visual contrast and reducing surgical risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If fluorescent dyes or markers are used to label nervous tissue, then visualization of peripheral nerves and duramadre is improved, but patient safety deteriorates due to unpredictable long-term effects, allergic reactions, and potential obscuring of nerves through nonspecific binding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the endogenous autofluorescence property of nervous tissue itself to achieve visualization without requiring external fluorescent markers or dyes. The nervous tissue naturally emits autofluorescence when excited by appropriate wavelengths of light, allowing surgeons to identify peripheral nerves and duramadre intraoperatively without exposing patients to potentially harmful exogenous substances.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and eliminates the harmful component (exogenous fluorescent markers and dyes) from the visualization process while retaining the beneficial effect (nervous tissue visualization). By relying solely on the intrinsic autofluorescence of nervous tissue, the system removes all associated risks including allergic reactions, nonspecific binding, and unpredictable long-term effects.
2Measurement precision
If CT or MRI imaging is used as intraoperative guides, then nervous tissue identification is improved, but time latency between radiological image interpretation and human tissue visualization increases, reducing accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the complex, time-consuming radiological imaging systems (CT and MRI) with a direct optical visualization method. By using autofluorescence imaging with appropriate excitation wavelengths, the system provides real-time visualization of nervous tissue during surgery, eliminating the time latency associated with radiological image acquisition, processing, and interpretation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention enables continuous, real-time visualization of nervous tissue throughout the surgical procedure. The autofluorescence imaging system operates continuously during surgery, allowing surgeons to maintain constant awareness of nerve and duramadre locations without the interruptions caused by periodic radiological imaging and interpretation delays.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If electrical stimulation devices are used to identify nerves, then nerve location detection is improved, but accuracy deteriorates due to unknown levels of precision and inability to identify sensory nerves or duramadre
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the natural autofluorescence emission wavelengths of nervous tissue to create visual contrast and identify different neural structures. By detecting the characteristic autofluorescence signal at specific wavelengths, the system can distinguish peripheral nerves from duramadre and other tissues, providing wavelength-specific identification that electrical stimulation cannot achieve.
4Ease of operation
If standard visualization techniques are used during surgery, then surgical procedure simplicity is maintained, but nervous tissue identification accuracy deteriorates, leading to high rates of iatrogenic injuries
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates autofluorescence imaging capability into existing surgical microscopes and endoscopic systems, allowing the same device to perform both standard white light visualization and specialized nervous tissue imaging. This multi-functional approach maintains surgical workflow simplicity while dramatically improving nervous tissue identification accuracy, avoiding the need for separate complex imaging systems.
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
The system provides clear, real-time visualization of nervous tissue, reducing the risk of iatrogenic injuries by accurately distinguishing nerves and duramadre from surrounding tissue, thereby improving surgical precision and patient outcomes.
Implementation Method 1
the excitation light source emits excitation light into a source optical train that preferentially optically filters the excitation light in a first wavelength range in a near ultraviolet light range and directs the filtered excitation light to illuminate a tissue region of interest... The excitation light in the first wavelength range causes the healthy nervous tissue, in response to being illuminated with the excitation light, to endogenously autoflouresce and emit first autofluorescence light at a first luminance in a second wavelength range
Data Source
AI summary
A nervous tissue imaging system includes a pair of matched filters, including an excitation light filter that only passes excitation light in a first wavelength range from 365 nm to 400 nm, and a received light detection filter that only passes received light in a second wavelength range from 433 nm to 450 nm. An endoscope is connected with a first source optical train for guiding excitation light through the first source optical train and the excitation light filter to uniformly illuminate the excitation light on a patient's tissue region of interest inside an enclosed cavity of the patient's body. The endoscope is connected to a camera device and a receiving optical train and the received light detection filter for receiving and passing into the camera device light signals including autofluorescence light in the second wavelength range from healthy nervous tissue in the patient's tissue region of interest.