Development of a Multi-Resolution Foveated Laparoscope

描述（由申请人提供）：内窥镜检查不仅在微创手术领域彻底改变了患者护理，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。一个局限性在于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，这在用于需要详细特写视图和广角概览以在手术操作期间定向的临床场景中时引入了挑战。目前，该限制通过手动地将整个腹腔镜移入和移出来解决，需要第二个受过训练的助手并引入人体工程学冲突，特别是最近开发的具有腹腔镜和工作器械的紧密分组的单端口进入程序。数字变焦也试图解决广角和高放大率视图的需求，但受到分辨率损失的限制。这项建议是对这一紧迫挑战的回应。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，可以在完全集成的探头中同时获得手术区域的广角和高放大率图像。该探头还将能够通过光学跟踪功能自动扫描并将高放大率探头接合到术野的任何子区域，改变高分辨率探头的光学放大率而无需物理推进或撤回探头，并保持低剖面以最大限度地减少与手术器械的界面。 我们克服了现有腹腔镜的局限性，通过光学耦合广角系统与主动凹，高分辨率探头。在低放大率下，腹腔镜将以与标准腹腔镜相当的视野（FOV）和空间分辨率对大手术野成像，提供“体育场视图”。检查视野的一个子区域，我们称之为“中心凹”视野，然后将以明显更高的放大率成像，以可视化更详细的结构，用于诊断或手术治疗。通过实时光学跟踪和变焦功能，可以对光学放大率和中央凹视野进行光学操作。在这个项目中，将开发一个原型系统，并将对标准外科腹腔镜的成像质量的各个方面进行初步评估。未来将使用腹腔镜训练系统和复杂的生物模型进行更全面的评估，以评估多分辨率内窥镜在各种临床应用中的价值。 所提出的方法是创新的，因为它光学耦合的广角探头与主动凹，高分辨率的图像探头与连续可调的感兴趣的区域和光学放大率。优势是相当明显的。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，我们设想一个集成的多分辨率腹腔镜将提供重要的新的诊断和手术工具，并创造多重影响。由于我们提出的成像方法的独特的成本和分辨率优势，这样的系统可以快速转换到临床使用的几个领域。 公共卫生相关性：该项目将开发一种新型的多分辨率凹腹腔镜，它可以在可变的光学放大倍率下真实的实时捕获手术区域的广角和高倍图像。所提出的方法是创新的，因为它光学耦合的广角探头与主动凹，高分辨率的图像探头与连续可调的感兴趣的区域和光学放大率。如果成功，我们设想一个集成的多分辨率腹腔镜将提供重要的新的诊断和手术工具，并创造多重影响。由于我们提出的成像方法的独特的成本和分辨率优势，这样的系统可以快速转换到临床使用的几个领域。

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.