Objective:

To improve and assess a tool tip tracking approach using photoacoustic imaging for better surgical guidance and ureter detection.

Approach:

Key Findings:

• Photoacoustic imaging can differentiate between the ureter, uterine artery, and metallic surgical tools.
• The photoacoustic method accurately captured tool-to-ureter distances, unlike monocular laparoscopic visualization which missed safety thresholds.
• The root-mean-square error for distance measurements was 1.94 mm.

Interpretation:

Photoacoustic imaging offers improved depth perception and accuracy in measuring distances between surgical tools and critical structures compared to traditional methods.

Limitations:

• The study primarily utilized a robotic setup, which may not fully replicate real surgical conditions.
• Further clinical validation is needed to assess the method's effectiveness in live surgical scenarios.

Conclusion:

The study demonstrates the findings related to photoacoustic imaging for surgical guidance and ureter detection.

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