Development of a Multi-Resolution Foveated Laparoscope

描述（由申请人提供）：内窥镜检查不仅彻底改变了微创手术领域的患者护理，而且最近还应用于高分辨率分子成像，用于筛查和评估早期疾病。然而，最先进的腹腔镜技术有许多局限性。其中一个限制是缺乏通过单个集成探头同时获取广角和高分辨率图像的能力，这在临床场景中使用时带来了挑战，需要详细的近距离视图和广角概览，以便在手术操作中进行定位。目前，这一限制是通过手动移动整个腹腔镜来解决的，需要第二名训练有素的助手，并引入人体工程学冲突，特别是随着最近发展的单端口进入程序，将腹腔镜和工作器械紧密分组。数码变焦也曾尝试解决对广角和高倍率视图的需求，但由于分辨率的损失而受到限制。这一建议回应了这一紧迫挑战。通过利用光学技术的进步，我们的目标是开发一种创新的腹腔镜，可以同时获得手术区域的广角和高放大图像，实时在一个完全集成的探头。该探头还能够通过光学跟踪功能自动扫描并将高倍率探头接合到手术场的任何子区域，在不需要物理推进或收回探头的情况下改变高分辨率探头的光学倍率，并保持低姿态以尽量减少与手术器械的接口。我们通过将广角系统与主动注视点高分辨率探头光学耦合来克服现有腹腔镜的局限性。在低倍率下，腹腔镜将成像一个大的手术场，其视场（FOV）和空间分辨率相当于标准腹腔镜，提供“体育场视图”。检查视野的一个子区域，我们称之为“注视点”视野，然后将在一个显着更高的放大倍数下成像，以看到更详细的结构，以用于诊断或手术治疗。通过实时光学跟踪和变焦功能，可以对光学放大倍率和焦点场进行光学操纵。在本项目中，将开发一个原型系统，并针对标准手术腹腔镜对成像质量的各个方面进行初步评估。未来将通过腹腔镜训练系统和复杂的生物学模型对多分辨率内窥镜在各种临床应用中的价值进行更全面的评价。该方法的创新之处在于，它将一个广角探头与一个主动注视点、高分辨率图像探头光学耦合，该探头具有连续可调的兴趣区域和光学放大倍率。优点是很明显的。例如，它保留了广角探头的优点，并增强了具有高分辨率成像能力的低分辨率探头。虽然提供了显著先进的成像能力，多分辨率腹腔镜探头保留了标准腹腔镜的紧凑性。如果成功，我们设想集成的多分辨率腹腔镜将提供重要的新诊断和手术工具，并产生多方面的影响。由于我们提出的成像方法的独特成本和分辨率优势，这样的系统可以迅速转化为临床应用的几个领域。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Endoscopy has not only revolutionized patient care in the domain of minimally invasive surgery, but has also been recently applied to high-resolution molecular imaging for screening and assessment of early-stage diseases. The state-of-the-art laparoscopic technologies, however, have a number of limitations. One limitation lies in the lack of the ability to acquire both wide-angle and high-resolution images simultaneously through a single integrated probe, which introduces challenges when used in clinical scenarios requiring both detailed close up views and wide angle overviews for orientation during surgical maneuvers. Currently, this limitation is addressed by manually moving the entire laparoscope in and out, requiring a second trained assistant and introducing ergonomic conflicts, especially with the recent development of single port access procedures with close grouping of the laparoscope and working instruments. Digital zooming has also been attempted to address the need for both wide angle and high-magnification views but has been limited by the resulting loss of resolution. This proposal responds to this pressing challenge. By leveraging the advancements of optical technologies, we aim to develop an innovative laparoscope that can simultaneously obtain both wide-angle and high-magnification images of a surgical area in real-time in a fully integrated probe. The probe will also be able to automatically scan and engage the high-magnification probe to any sub-region of the surgical field through optical tracking capabilities, vary the optical magnification of the high-resolution probe without the need of physically advancing or withdrawing the probe, and maintain a low profile to minimize interfaces with surgical instruments. We overcome the limitations of existing laparoscopes by optically coupling a wide-angle system with an actively foveated, high-resolution probe. At a low magnification, the laparoscope will image a large surgical field with a field of view (FOV) and spatial resolution equivalent to those of a standard laparoscope, providing a "stadium view". A sub-region of the examination field, which we call the "foveated" field, will then be imaged at a significantly higher magnification to visualize more detailed structure for diagnosis or surgical treatment. The level of optical magnification and the foveated field can be optically manipulated through real-time optical tracking and zooming capabilities. In this project, a prototype system will be developed and various aspects of imaging quality will be preliminarily evaluated against standard surgical laparoscopes. More comprehensive evaluation will be followed up in the future using both laparoscopic training system and complex biological models to evaluate the values of a multi-resolution endoscope for various clinical applications. The proposed approach is innovative in that it optically couples a wide-angle probe with an actively foveated, high-resolution image probe with continuously adjustable region of interest and optical magnification. The advantages are quite obvious. For instance, it preserves the benefits of a wide-angle probe and enhances a low-resolution probe with high-resolution imaging capability. Although providing significantly advanced imaging capabilities, the multi-resolution laparoscope probe preserves the compactness of a standard laparoscope. If successful, we envision an integrated multi-resolution laparoscope will provide important new diagnostic and surgical tools and create multi-fold impacts. Because of the unique cost and resolution advantages of our proposed imaging method, such a system can be quickly translated to several fields of clinical use. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This project will develop a novel multi-resolution foveated laparoscope that captures both wide-angle and high-magnification images of a surgical area in real time at variable optical magnifications. The proposed approach is innovative in that it optically couples a wide-angle probe with an actively foveated, high-resolution image probe with continuously adjustable region of interest and optical magnification. If successful, we envision an integrated multi-resolution laparoscope will provide important new diagnostic and surgical tools and create multi-fold impacts. Because of the unique cost and resolution advantages of our proposed imaging method, such a system can be quickly translated to several fields of clinical use.