Possibilities and perspectives of HSI in surgery

In the current review article by Barberio et al. the surgical audience gets a very nice overview of the different applications of hyperspectral imaging as an intraoperative imaging tool, the current limitations as well as the possible future direction of HSI for intraoperative guidance.

Based on a systematic literature review, the two current main areas of application for HSI, namely tissue detection (tumour detection and recognition of anatomical structures) and perfusion assessment in the context of various surgical procedures, are described.

The authors emphasise the great potential of hyperspectral imaging as an intraoperative decision support tool, as it has most of the characteristics of an ideal intraoperative imaging technology: HSI provides surgeons with reproducible and quantitative tissue information in a non-invasive, radiation-free, label-free and user-friendly manner.

Barberio M, Benedicenti S, Pizzicannella M, Felli E, Collins T, Jansen-Winkeln B, Marescaux J, Viola MG, Diana M. Intraoperative Guidance Using Hyperspectral Imaging: A Review for Surgeons. Diagnostics. 2021; 11(11):2066. doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11112066.