Thermal Infrared Endoscope

Abstract

According to a 2017 report by Intuitive Surgical, the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System was used in approximately 877,000 surgeries, and this number is projected to increase in the future. During robotic surgical procedures, energy-based tools are frequently used to perform tasks such as cauterization. However, the use of these instruments poses a risk of spreading thermal energy to surrounding tissues and causing accidental damage to vital anatomy. To help mitigate this hazard, here we propose an infrared-based, minimally invasive thermal camera endoscope that can be attached to the existing instrument arms of da Vinci robot. This device allows surgeons to monitor the thermal interactions between surgical instruments and tissue, thus reducing the risk of accidental injury.