Quantifying solid tumor margins with fluorescence-guided surgery approaches is a challenge, particularly when using near infrared (NIR) wavelengths due to increased penetration depths. An NIR dual wavelength excitation fluorescence (DWEF) approach was developed that capitalizes on the wavelength-dependent attenuation of light in tissue to determine fluorophore depth. A portable dual wavelength excitation fluorescence imaging system was built and tested in parallel with an NIR tumor-targeting fluorophore in tissue mimicking phantoms, chicken tissue, and in vivo mouse models of breast cancer. The system showed high accuracy in all experiments. The low cost and simplicity of this approach make it ideal for clinical use.

Fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS), coupled with novel near infrared (NIR) fluorescent contrast agents, has significant potential to improve health but in current practice is less suitable for low resource settings. Although there are efforts to simplify FGS systems, technical, economic, and logistic challenges have hampered its global adoption. To overcome these impediments, we developed a low-cost, open-source, battery-powered and fully wearable FGS system called the fluorescence imaging augmented reality Raspberry Pi-based goggle system (FAR-Pi). Compared to current technologies that are expensive, bulky, and wall-powered, FAR-Pi has higher spatial resolution, depth of focus and fluorescence sensitivity. The FAR-Pi system has broad appeal by detecting the diverse fluorescence of NIR contrast agents undergoing clinical trials, as demonstrated by the successful identification of tumors in vivo with LS301, a tumor-targeting NIR contrast agent. As an open-source, inexpensive, and modifiable system, FAR-Pi promises to broaden access to FGS, thereby improving health worldwide.

Fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS), coupled with novel near infrared (NIR) fluorescent contrast agents, has significant potential to improve health but in current practice is less suitable for low resource settings. Although there are efforts to simplify FGS systems, technical, economic, and logistic challenges have hampered its global adoption. To overcome these impediments, we developed a low-cost, open-source, battery-powered and fully wearable FGS system called the fluorescence imaging augmented reality Raspberry Pi-based goggle system (FAR-Pi). Compared to current technologies that are expensive, bulky, and wall-powered, FAR-Pi has higher spatial resolution, depth of focus and fluorescence sensitivity. The FAR-Pi system has broad appeal by detecting the diverse fluorescence of NIR contrast agents undergoing clinical trials, as demonstrated by the successful identification of tumors in vivo with LS301, a tumor-targeting NIR contrast agent. As an open-source, inexpensive, and modifiable system, FAR-Pi promises to broaden access to FGS, thereby improving health worldwide.

No abstract