An interdisciplinary research team in Jena, Germany, has created a novel AI-guided endoscope that can precisely identify and selectively remove tumor tissue in real time during surgery.
By merging cutting-edge laser and imaging technology with artificial intelligence, this strategy offers new avenues for enhancing patients’ chances of recovery. The findings of this study are published in Science Advances.
One of the most difficult aspects of cancer surgery is eliminating a tumor while preserving good tissue. Current approaches, such as intraoperative tissue sampling, provide only an after-the-fact assessment of surgical success.
A team from the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (Leibniz IPHT) in Jena, in collaboration with Friedrich Schiller University (FSU), the University Hospital Jena, and the Jena-based company Grintech, has discovered a unique solution to this problem. An endoscope powered by light and artificial intelligence can precisely detect tumor boundaries without the use of dyes.
Matteo Calvarese, lead author of the study and Ph.D. student at Leibniz IPHT said
The system’s artificial intelligence processes the data quickly, providing surgeons with actionable information. “This allows surgeons to make precise decisions during the procedure itself,”
Grintech, a Jena, Germany-based business, contributed significantly to the development of this technology by developing high-precision tiny optical components for endomicroscopy and assembling them into a complete applicator system. This allows for thorough viewing of tissue features and chemical composition with the same resolution as large laboratory microscopes.
The development of this technology is part of the TheraOptik project. The technique is now in preclinical testing. The next stage is a clinical trial with a greater number of patients.
Prof. Popp says
Our goal is to make this light-based method a standard tool in cancer surgery within the next few years. In the long term, the technology could also be applied to other medical fields such as dermatology or neurosurgery.
