SBIR Phase I: Label-free imaging for real-time, intraoperative blood vessel visualization

该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）I期项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是开发一种新型术中成像技术，以解决微创手术期间无意切割血管的问题。血管损伤患者面临医院感染的风险增加，死亡率高达32%。这些患者负担着更长的住院时间和矫正程序，这给他们的医疗费用增加了数万美元。肥胖是一个危险因素，与微创手术向开放手术的转换率较高有关，这是由于外科医生的限制。显示和导航脉管系统的能力。因此，迫切需要真实的实时识别和评估隐藏的脉管系统。所提出的技术在进行切割之前为用户提供血管可视化和尺寸度量。重要的是，该系统将被设计为无缝集成到一套手术器械中，用于多种应用。从长远来看，该公司的目标是为外科医生提供卓越的成像平台，以实时查看，评估和表征一系列血管（即动脉/静脉，输尿管和胆管），以改善手术指导和结果。拟议的项目将开发一种新型的血管检测和可视化平台，使用低成本的光学成像传感器和发光二极管（LED）。拟议的技术将提供有关血管存在和大小的实时视觉和定量信息，可以补充外科医生？的技术。该系统将是简单的，具有成本效益，易于使用，高度准确，并将基于类似的脉搏血氧饱和度技术的科学。传统上，在微创手术期间避免血管通过可视化或昂贵的术中成像来实现。拟议的技术将使用脉动光吸收特性的血管提供定量信息的血管存在和大小的实时，补充外科医生？的技术。该项目还将为在信号处理和图像分析领域进行的研究增加重要价值。此外，所提出的技术将消除由于一般伪影和特别是运动伪影而导致的数据丢失的风险。将使用猪动物模型对所提出的技术进行离体和体内验证。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to develop a novel, intraoperative imaging technology to addresse the problem of inadvertent cuts to vasculature during minimally invasive surgeries. Patients who suffer vascular injury face increased risks of developing nosocomial infections and, in up to 32% of cases, mortality. These patients are burdened with longer hospital stays and corrective procedures that add tens of thousands of dollars to their healthcare expenses. This is compounded by obesity, a risk factor that is associated with higher rates of conversion from minimally invasive to open surgery due to limitations in the surgeon?s ability to visualize and navigate vasculature. Hence, there is a critical need to identify and assess hidden vasculature in real time. The proposed technology provides users with blood vessel visualization and size metrics before a cut is made. Importantly, this system will be designed for seamless integration into a suite of surgical instruments for multiple applications. Long term, the company aims to provide surgeons with the preeminent imaging platform to view, assess, and characterize a range of vessels (i.e. arteries/veins, ureters and bile ducts) in real-time for improved surgical guidance and outcomes. The proposed project will develop a novel blood vessel detection and visualization platform using low-cost optical imaging sensors and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The proposed technology will provide visual and quantitative information about vessel presence and size in real-time that can supplement a surgeon?s technique. This system will be simple, cost-effective, easy to employ, and highly accurate, and will be based on science similar to that found in pulse oximetry technology. Traditionally, the avoidance of blood vessels during minimally invasive surgery is accomplished by visualization or costly intraoperative imaging. The proposed technology will use pulsatile light absorption characteristics of blood vessels to provide quantitative information about vessel presence and size in real-time, supplementing a surgeon?s technique. This project will also add significant value to the body of research conducted in the areas of signal processing and image analysis. In addition, the proposed technology will remove the risk of data loss due to artifacts in general and motion artifacts in particular. The proposed technology will be validated ex vivo and in vivo using a porcine animal model.