Light-guided localization within tissue using biocompatible surgical suture fiber as an optical waveguide

J Biomed Opt. 2014 Sep;19(9):90503. doi: 10.1117/1.JBO.19.9.090503.

Abstract

In breast-conserving surgery, an optical wire is a useful surgical guiding tool to optically locate small lesions within the breast tissue. However, the use of a long silica glass fiber as the optical wire can be burdensome to patients because of its stiffness and nonbiocompatibility. We investigate the use of a biocompatible fiber for light localization in tissue. A surgical suture with a diameter of 400 μm and a few centimeters long is employed as the biocompatible optical waveguide to transport the visible laser light to the inner tissue site. Optical location is confirmed with glow ball-like red laser illumination at the tip of the suture embedded within a fresh chicken breast tissue. Effective optical power coupling to the suture is made by using a double-cladding fiber coupler. From this preliminary result, we realize practical light localization with biopolymer waveguides.

Publication types

  • Letter
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Chickens
  • Equipment Design
  • Models, Biological
  • Muscle, Skeletal / surgery
  • Optical Fibers*
  • Optical Imaging / instrumentation*
  • Optical Imaging / methods
  • Surgery, Computer-Assisted / instrumentation*
  • Surgery, Computer-Assisted / methods
  • Sutures*