Clinical translation of near-infrared image-guided surgery: Where do we stand?

There is a pressing clinical need to provide image guidance during surgery. Currently, assessment of tissue that needs to be resected or avoided is performed subjectively leading to a large number of failures, patient morbidity and increased healthcare cost. Because near-infrared (NIR) optical imaging is safe, does not require contact, and can provide relatively deep information (several mm), it offers unparalleled capabilities for providing image guidance during surgery. In this presentation, we will review our translational efforts in image-guided surgery using diffuse NIR light. In particular, we will present our latest developments in imaging devices and contrast agents towards clinically-realistic image guidance during surgical interventions.