We developed a single-camera-based near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging device using indocyanine green (ICG) NIR fluorescence contrast agents for image-induced surgery. In general, a fluorescent imaging system that simultaneously provides color and NIR images uses two cameras, which is disadvantageous because it increases the imaging head of the system. Recently, a single-camera-based NIR optical imaging device with quantum efficiency partially extended to the NIR region was developed to overcome this drawback. The system used RGB_NIR filters for camera sensors to provide color and NIR images simultaneously; however, the sensitivity and resolution of the infrared images are reduced by 1/4, and the exposure time and gain cannot be set individually when acquiring color and NIR images. Thus, to overcome these shortcomings, this study developed a compact fluorescent imaging system that uses a single camera with two complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors. Sensitivity and signal-to-background ratio were measured according to the concentrations of ICG solution, exposure time, and camera gain to evaluate the performance of the imaging system. Consequently, the clinical applicability of the system was confirmed through the toxicity analysis of the light source and in vivo testing.
Keywords: dual-CMOS single camera; image-guided surgery; lymph node mapping; near-infrared fluorescence imaging system.