Tumour tissue margins monitored in real time during robotic surgery by Raman probe

Scientists in the UK have developed a Raman sensor that can be deployed during robot-assisted laparopsic surgery to define the margins of a tumour when they are unclear to the surgeon. The software is designed to tell the surgeon whether the tissue is tumour or healthy so that no knowledge of spectroscopy is required. This is achieved using a multivariate classification algorithm which processes the results from a training set of the patient's own tissue, as described in the Journal of Biophotonics.

The instrumentation includes a disposable sterile sleeve to enclose the fibre probe and was especially designed to be compatible with one type of surgical robot - the ARAKNES system - but the principles will apply to other robotics platforms. The Raman spectra are measured using a diode laser operating at 785 nm.

In proof-of-principle experiments with excised tissue, the accuracy in defining the tissue type was greater than 95% when the sensor was used with the robotic arm or by hand.

The system improves upon other published robotic biosensors by using a smaller probe head which is more compatible with the surgical environment and can be controlled sensitively. Its ability to give a Yes/No answer on tissue type will allow the surgeon to make quick decisions during the procedure without having to interpret the data.