University of California San Francisco

Augmented Surgical Vision

Semiconductor Lighting to Improve Visualization

Principal Investigators: Alan BC Dang, MD, Alexis BC Dang, MD
Team Members: Hash Pakbaz, PhD, Scott Semans

Challenge

Team Presenting

Lighting plays a critical role in tissue visualization, surgical safety, and surgical speed. Learning to be a faster surgeon is less about trying to cut or suture more quickly than it is about being able to "see more quickly" and identifying critical structures so that the decision to cut or not can be made rapidly. In surgery, it can be difficult to discern between tissues such as veins, arteries, or nerves. Trainees are less skilled at identifying anatomy and patient-to-patient variability can be a challenge for all surgeons.

Solution 

Commercially available surgical lighting (both ceiling mounted and headlamps) vary considerably in spectral response. Little is known about the optimal lighting characteristics other than brightness. Our aims are to determine the optimal spectral lighting characteristics for highlighting various tissue types and building a surgical LED array that provides optimal surgical lighting for specific procedures.

Honors & Awards

Surgical Innovations Mentorship Award (Spring 2017)
Surgical Innovations People's Choice Award (Spring 2017)

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