Tissue Imaging Cartridge With Compression for Flat Surgical Margins
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional histological imaging techniques for surgical margins are time-intensive, error-prone, and often cannot be performed intraoperatively, leading to difficulties in accurately determining negative surgical margins and necessitating additional surgeries.
Innovation Solution
A cartridge for storing un-labelled tissue that interfaces with an optical imaging system to generate a virtually-stained histological image, using an optical substrate and a compressing lid to ensure the tissue is flat against the substrate, allowing for intraoperative imaging of surgical margins.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional histological imaging techniques are used, then tissue can be stained and analyzed, but the process is time-intensive and cannot be performed intraoperatively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the tissue from the complex conventional histological processing workflow (fixation, embedding, sectioning, staining) and places it directly into a cartridge for optical imaging. This extraction eliminates multiple time-consuming steps while preserving the essential function of tissue analysis for surgical margin determination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/chemical staining system with an optical imaging system that uses light to visualize tissue structures. This substitution eliminates the need for chemical stains and extensive processing while achieving comparable diagnostic information through optical properties of the tissue.
2Speed
If frozen section analysis is used for intraoperative assessment, then surgical margins can be evaluated during surgery, but artifacts are introduced that deteriorate cellular morphology
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by placing the tissue in a cartridge with optimal positioning and illumination setup before imaging. The tissue is prepared in its native state with proper orientation markers applied, allowing direct optical imaging without the need for freezing or other processing that would introduce artifacts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of tissue preparation by eliminating freezing temperatures and chemical fixatives. Instead, the tissue is maintained at physiological conditions with controlled illumination parameters (wavelength, intensity, angle) to achieve reliable imaging without morphological deterioration.
3Measurement precision
If traditional staining methods are used, then histological images can be generated, but the process is expensive and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the complex mechanical and chemical staining system with a streamlined optical imaging system. Instead of multiple staining baths, rinses, and processing steps, the system uses controlled light illumination to generate high-quality histological images, dramatically reducing workflow complexity and potential errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an optical copy or representation of the tissue's histological structures through light interaction. The optical imaging system captures and processes light reflected from or transmitted through the tissue to generate images that replicate the diagnostic information traditionally obtained through chemical staining, but with simpler methodology.
Data Source
AI summary
A cartridge for storing an un-labelled tissue to be imaged by an optical imaging system may include: a container to store the un-labelled tissue, and to interface with the optical imaging system; an optical substrate, provided on a bottom surface of the container, through which the optical imaging system is configured to image the un-labelled tissue to generate a virtually-stained histological image of the un-labelled tissue; and a lid, provided on a top surface of the container, including a membrane to compress the un-labelled tissue against the optical substrate such that an entire margin of the un-labelled tissue is flat against the optical substrate.