Multi-modal optical imaging applied to robot-assisted endoscopy (MOIRE)

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Over the past fifteen years the strong and complex interaction of light and tissue has begun to be exploited in clinical applications for the diagnosis of disease. The absorption, scattering, reflection and fluorescence properties can provide a live signal to reveal metabolic and morphologic changes in the epithelium and stroma associated with the development of pre-cancer. The potential increase in diagnostic specificity through multi-modal and multi-spectral imaging may reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies and reduce the delay to intervention, improving the current slow and inefficient white light screening procedures. During the same time period, there has also been a revolution in surgical technology through the widespread use of minimally invasive surgical (MIS) techniques and the development of sophisticated human-controlled surgical robots, which allow the performance of procedures that are otherwise prohibited by the confines of the operating environment. Currently, the surgical navigation for these procedures is based on white light reflected video images acquired from conventional or stereoscopic endoscopes, giving a limited view of the tissue that only reports tissue colour, shape and texture. The purpose of this project is to develop a multimodal optical visualisation technique that permits in situ, in vivo imaging of complex anatomical and functional information of the operating field and integrate this into robot assisted surgery for safer and more effective surgical navigation and diagnosis.