[Artificial intelligence and hyperspectral imaging for image-guided assistance in minimally invasive surgery]

[The digital operating room : Chances and risks of artificial intelligence]

At the central workplace of the surgeon the digitalization of the operating room has particular consequences for the surgical work. Starting with intraoperative cross-sectional imaging and sonography, through functional imaging, minimally invasive and robot-assisted surgery up to digital surgical and anesthesiological documentation, the vast majority of operating rooms are now at least partially digitalized. The increasing digitalization of the whole process chain enables not only for the collection but also the analysis of big data. Current research focuses on artificial intelligence for the analysis of intraoperative data as the prerequisite for assistance systems that support surgical decision making or warn of risks; however, these technologies raise new ethical questions for the surgical community that affect the core of surgical work.

Design and Validation of a Custom-Made Laboratory Hyperspectral Imaging System for Biomedical Applications Using a Broadband LED Light Source

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is a promising optical modality that is already being used in numerous applications. Further expansion of the capabilities of HSI depends on the modularity and versatility of the systems, which would, inter alia, incorporate profilometry, fluorescence imaging, and Raman spectroscopy while following a rigorous calibration and verification protocols, thus offering new insights into the studied samples as well as verifiable, quantitative measurement results applicable to the development of quantitative metrics. Considering these objectives, we developed a custom-made laboratory HSI system geared toward biomedical applications. In this report, we describe the design, along with calibration, characterization, and verification protocols needed to establish such systems, with the overall goal of standardization. As an additional novelty, our HSI system uses a custom-built broadband LED-based light source for reflectance imaging, which is particularly important for biomedical applications due to the elimination of sample heating. Three examples illustrating the utility and advantages of the integrated system in biomedical applications are shown. Our attempt presents both the development of a custom-based laboratory HSI system with novel LED light source as well as a framework which may improve technological standards in HSI system design.