AI and multispectral imaging improve safety in keyhole surgery

Laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery has become a staple of cancer diagnosis and therapy. While characterization of the tissue blood flow is crucial in various procedures, such as partial kidney removal, doing so through visual inspection remains highly challenging. Based on a compact and lightweight multispectral camera, we developed a real-time imaging system that allows surgeons to complement the conventional view of the patient with functional information in the shape of a video. To enable contrast agent–free monitoring of the blood flow during laparoscopic kidney removal, we use an artificial intelligence method that only requires the analysis of data from the patient at hand. A clinical trial with patients demonstrates the feasibility of our approach and highlights the potential of spectral imaging combined with advanced deep learning–based analysis tools for fast, efficient, reliable, and safe functional laparoscopic imaging.