Vanderbilt University

Emmanuel A Mannoh

Anita Mahadevan-Jansen

Carmen C Solorzano

Giju Thomas

A combined auto-fluorescence imaging and laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) system to enable intra-operative parathyroid identification and viability assessment with the same tool. The system includes a light source for emitting a beam of light to illuminate a target of interest, and an imaging head positioned over the target of interest for individually acquiring auto-fluorescence images and LSCI images of light from the illuminated target of interest responsive to the illumination. Auto-fluorescence imaging helps identify the parathyroid, while LSCI helps assess its viability.

Combined fluorescence and laser speckle contrast imaging system and applications of same

A method for intraoperatively determining a degree of parathyroid perfusion includes identifying parathyroid tissues of a living subject using autofluorescence detection with a fiber optic probe based fluorescence detection system; administering to the living subject a contrast agent with a dose; after a period of time of the administration, detecting fluorescence in an area of the parathyroid tissues with the fiber optic probe based fluorescence detection system, where the fluorescence is emitted from the contrast agent; and obtaining a detection level and/or a detection ratio for the parathyroid tissues from the detected fluorescence so as to determine a degree of parathyroid perfusion of each parathyroid. The method is not only unaffected by ambient light, but also has no need of images of the parathyroid tissues.

Methods of using optical fiber-based fluorescence spectroscopy for surgical guidance and/or tissue diagnostics and applications of same

One aspect of the invention relates to a method for intraoperative detection of parathyroid gland viability in a surgery, comprising obtaining speckle contrast images of a parathyroid gland of a patent; and displaying the speckle contrast images of the parathyroid gland in real-time.

Methods and apparatus for intraoperative assessment of parathyroid gland vascularity using laser speckle contrast imaging and applications of same

One aspect of the invention relates to a method for intraoperative assessment of parathyroid gland viability in a surgery. The method includes diffusing a beam of light onto a tissue surface of a parathyroid gland of a patient to illuminate the tissue surface; acquiring images of the illuminated tissue surface, where each of the acquired images includes a speckle pattern; and processing the acquired images to obtain speckle contrast images for the intraoperative assessment of parathyroid gland viability.

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Nashville, TN, United States of America

Emmanuel A Mannoh