Instant laser imaging could guide brain surgeons

Monday, October 19, 2020

Researchers at Waterloo Engineering have taken an important step in the development of a microscope to precisely guide doctors during surgery to remove brain tumors.

For the first time, they used laser imaging technology to almost instantly identify cancerous tissue with accuracy comparable to laboratory tests that take up to two weeks.

“That opens up an extremely promising path towards our ultimate goal - a non-contact, surgical microscope that in real-time can guide doctors towards very safe, maximal resection with no waiting,” said Parsin Haji Reza, a professor of systems design engineering and director of the PhotoMedicine Labs at Waterloo. [Read More]

Two images, one produced in the lab (left) and the other using new PARS laser technology (right), show areas of cancer in brain tissue with comparable accuracy.

Two images, one produced in the lab (left) and the other using new PARS laser technology (right), show areas of cancer in brain tissue with comparable accuracy.