Optical coherence tomography, optical topographical imaging and fluorescence guided surgical laser ablation

基于目标规格、成像参数和实验方案，生物光子学技术和成像模式正在临床应用中得到应用。相关和重要的翻译这些技术到临床世界可以实现和有意义的医疗实践应用。在本应用中提出的研究目标是发展术中光学相干断层扫描和荧光图像引导手术激光消融。短期目标包括在手术过程中建立深度控制的激光消融，改善消融结果的实时评估，改进现有的光学地形成像手术导航技术，以实现术中精确的靶向，设计和开发一种结合光学相干断层扫描和荧光成像的平台，用于手术环境中高分辨率的实时结构和功能成像。该研究项目的长期目标是在手术环境中利用激光消融、光学地形成像、光学相干断层扫描和荧光成像来改进现有的手术方案。目标临床效益将包括神经外科和耳鼻喉科领域。

Biophotonics technology and imaging modalities are being used in clinical applications based on the target specifications, imaging parameters, and experimental protocols. Relevant and significant translation of these technologies into the clinical world can be achieved and applied in meaningful medical practices. The goal of the research proposed in this application is to develop intraoperative optical coherence tomography and fluorescence image guided surgical laser ablation. Short term goals include establishing depth controlled laser ablation in the context of surgical procedures and improve real-time assessment of ablation results, improving on existing optical topographical imaging surgical navigation technique for accurate intraoperative targeting, and designing and developing a combined optical coherence tomography and fluorescence imaging platform for high-resolution real-time structural and functional imaging in the surgical setting. The long-term goal for this research project will be to utilize laser ablation, optical topographical imaging, optical coherence tomography, and fluorescence imaging in a surgical setting to improve the existing surgical protocols. The targeted clinical benefits will include the fields of neurosurgery and otolaryngology. Medical laser ablation is an established technique for the removal of tissue during surgical procedures. Dr. Yang and his laboratory have investigated using ultra-short pulsed laser ablation in hard tissues with inline coherent imaging (ICI, a derivative of optical coherence tomography) as a non-contact real-time feedback method to remove material within a localized target volume. There is great potential to utilize laser ablation in surgery with depth control, especially for neurosurgeries that require increased precision with extra care. Non-ionizing radiation, such as optical topographical imaging (OTI) of a surgically exposed area, can be combined with 3D data with real-time feedback for surgical navigation. OTI can be combined with medical laser ablation to increase the system response speed and achieve faster complete topographical image acquisition and registration cycles with robust performance using visible spectrum light, in a feedback loop to control laser ablation’s lateral positioning. The speed improvement will complement the accuracy that OTI will provide for laser ablation. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fluorescence imaging are two existing imaging modalities used in the research laboratory and in the clinic for disease detection, analysis and diagnosis. There is great potential for the combined usage of both imaging modalities for direct surgical benefits such as tracking/navigation and tissue ablation. OCT is an imaging technology that uses near infrared light (800 ~ 1550 nm) interferometry and offers near-histological resolution (ranging from submicron to a few microns) for non-invasive or minimally invasive imaging. Fluorescence imaging is an imaging modality that involves the absorption and emission of light by fluorophores of a target specimen to form an image of the detected signal by a fluorescence microscope. The development and implementation of OCT and fluorescence imaging for surgical guidance will only enable greater accuracy in optical tracking and laser ablation in the surgical suite. OCT and fluorescence guidance can be applied in the medical field and become standard operating room technology for neurosurgeons during laser ablation surgeries.