Surgical Imaging Spectrographic Tissue Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for generating information about biological tissues during surgical interventions lack precision in distinguishing between tissues and foreign bodies using spectrographic analysis, which can lead to inaccurate surgical interventions.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a light source for illuminating a surgical environment, a detector for receiving and analyzing spectrographic content, and a controller to identify tissues or foreign bodies based on the spectrographic information, utilizing classifiers and algorithms to determine tissue types and presence of markers or instruments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If spectrographic analysis is used to identify tissues during surgical intervention, then tissue identification accuracy is improved, but the ability to distinguish foreign bodies from tissues deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The spectrographic range is segmented into multiple distinct ranges (first spectrographic range and second spectrographic range), with each range optimized for detecting specific targets. The first range detects tissue spectrographic information while the second range detects foreign body spectrographic information, allowing simultaneous identification of both tissue types and foreign bodies without cross-interference
Solution Approach 2:
Different spectrographic ranges are assigned to detect different types of objects based on their specific optical properties. The system applies quality-specific detection by using wavelength ranges that are locally optimized for either tissue detection or foreign body detection, rather than using a single broad spectrographic range for all detection purposes
2Device complexity
If a single spectrographic range is used for detection, then device complexity is reduced, but identification accuracy of both tissues and foreign bodies deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The detection system segments the spectrographic analysis into multiple independent wavelength ranges, allowing the detector to simultaneously analyze different portions of the spectrum for different target types without requiring separate physical detection systems
Solution Approach 2:
A single detector is designed to perform multiple detection functions by analyzing different spectrographic ranges simultaneously. The same detector hardware can identify both tissues and foreign bodies by processing information from multiple wavelength ranges, eliminating the need for separate detection systems for each target type
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
Enables precise identification of tissues and foreign bodies within a surgical environment, guiding surgical interventions by providing accurate spectrographic data for real-time decision-making, reducing the risk of damage to surgical instruments and improving tissue targeting.
Implementation Method 1
illuminating, by a light source, a portion of a surgical environment
Implementation Method 2
receiving light from the illuminated portion of the surgical environment
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical imaging system includes a light source configured to illuminate a portion of a surgical environment and a light sensor configured to receive light from the illuminated portion in response to the illumination. The surgical imaging system determines spectrographic content of the received light and uses the determined spectrographic content to identify the illuminated portion of the surgical environment; for example, to determine that the portion contains a surgical instrument, a foreign body, a suture, a particular type of tissue, a blood vessel, and/or a fluorescent marker. This identification of the illuminated portion of the surgical environment could be used to implement a surgical intervention. For example, a surgical laser could be operated, based on such generated identification information, to ablate cancerous tissue in the surgical environment that is marked with a fluorophore while avoiding ablating any sutures or surgical instruments disposed in the surgical environment.