Loading…

EIT probe based intraoperative tissue inspection for minimally invasive surgery

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) has become an integral component in the repertoire of medical imaging techniques, particularly due to its non-invasive nature and real-time imaging capabilities. Despite its potential, the application of EIT in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has been hindered...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Measurement science & technology 2024-10, Vol.35 (10), p.105119
Main Authors: Guo, Jing, Zhuang, Baiyang, Li, Renkai, Lin, Zexuan, Cheng, Zhuoqi, Lou, Haifang
Format: Article
Language:English
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) has become an integral component in the repertoire of medical imaging techniques, particularly due to its non-invasive nature and real-time imaging capabilities. Despite its potential, the application of EIT in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has been hindered by a lack of specialized electrode probes. Existing designs often compromise between invasiveness and spatial sensitivity: probes small enough for MIS often fail to provide detailed imaging, while those offering greater sensitivity are impractically large for use through a surgical trocar. Addressing this challenge, our study presents a breakthrough in EIT probe design. The open electrode probe we have developed features a line of 16 electrodes, thoughtfully arrayed to balance the spatial demands of MIS with the need for precise imaging. Employing an advanced EIT reconstruction algorithm, our probe not only captures images that reflect the electrical characteristics of the tissues but also ensures the homogeneity of the test material is accurately represented. The versatility of our probe is demonstrated by its capacity to generate high-resolution images of subsurface anatomical structures, a feature particularly valuable during MIS where direct visual access is limited. Surgeons can rely on intraoperative EIT imaging to inform their navigation of complex anatomical landscapes, enhancing both the safety and efficacy of their procedures. Through rigorous experimental validation using ex vivo tissue phantoms, we have established the probe’s proficiency. The experiments confirmed the system’s high sensitivity and precision, particularly in the critical tasks of subsurface tissue detection and surgical margin delineation. These capabilities manifest the potential of our probe to revolutionize the field of surgical imaging, providing a previously unattainable level of detail and assurance in MIS procedures.
ISSN:0957-0233
1361-6501
DOI:10.1088/1361-6501/ad6345