A surgeon removing a brain tumour will soon be able to see, in real time, exactly which tissue is cancerous and which is healthy, without injecting dyes or touching the patient. Current surgical guidance relies on the surgeon’s visual judgment and pre-operative scans, which cannot adapt to tissue changes during an operation. Existing hyperspectral imaging systems—which analyse light reflected from tissue to reveal its composition—take 20 seconds per image and lack the sterile design needed for the operating theatre. This project builds on two successful first-in-patient studies of a new intraoperative hyperspectral imaging (iHSI) prototype that fits seamlessly into the surgical workflow. If successful, the device will give neurosurgeons instant, wide-field tissue characterisation and blood-flow measurements, reducing the risk of leaving tumour behind or damaging healthy brain. The 36-month project involves a prospective clinical study with 81 patients, hardware redesign, real-time algorithm development, and regulatory preparation. A collaboration between King’s College London, King’s College Hospital, and spin-out company Hypervision Surgical Ltd aims to have the technology ready for MHRA submission and efficacy trials by the project’s end.
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To address the pressing clinical need of improved surgical precision and patient safety during neurosurgery, we will develop a medical device capable of contact-free, contrast-agent-free, wide-field imaging and real-time tissue characterisation for seamless surgical guidance. Our innovation relies on advancing data-driven hyperspectral imaging (HSI). Even though the ability of HSI to differentiate tissue types and measure tissue characteristics is supported by a relatively large body of scientific evidence, to date, commercial HSI systems are used mainly for tissue healing analysis rather than for surgical guidance. Indeed, existing systems are slow (20s per image) and lack sterility features vital for surgical guidance. This project builds on our previous research with two successful first-in-patient studies demonstrating that our initial intraoperative HSI (iHSI) prototype seamlessly integrates into the surgical workflow. To deliver on this primary objective, our project will pursue eight aims for our iHSI technology: Demonstrate clinical safety in neurosurgery Establish correlation with histology Develop quantitative perfusion algorithms Achieve clinical-grade wide-field perfusion estimations Demonstrate accurate differentiation of tissue types Advance regulatory compliance towards commercialisation Dissemination of the research to patients and the public Protect innovation and disseminate findings to the research community Our project plan, executed within a 36-month period, is divided into five work packages (WPs) spanning: Clinical implementation (centred on a prospective clinical study involving 81 patients) iHSI hardware design and system characterisation Real-time computational algorithms design Product development following MDR/UKCA-requirements Management, PPI and dissemination The close collaboration between King s College London, King s College Hospital and Hypervision Surgical Ltd (King's spin-out) will ensure a fast-tracked conversion from a healthcare innovation into a product achieving accelerated patient and public benefit. By the end of the project, our technology will be ready for MHRA submission and for inclusion in prospective clinical efficacy studies.
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