Complete removal of
malignant gliomas is important for the prognosis in neurosurgery treatment. Currently, the challenge is how to detect any remaining
tumors and resect them during the operation. We have developed a
laser ablation system with accurate
tumor analysis and fluorescence guidance for high-precision
brain tumor resection during neurosurgery. A 5-aminolevulinic
acid-induced fluorescent
protoporphyrins IX (
PpIX)-based intra-operative fluorescence measurement and corresponding spectra analysis technique is used to identify the position of
tumors. A galvano mirror scanning mechanism is integrated into the fluorescence measurement and the
laser ablation devices for automatic
tumor area scanning and corresponding
laser ablation. A set of phantom experiments was performed to evaluate the proposed system. Results showed that the galvano scanning mechanism enabled both
PpIX fluorescence detection and
laser ablation in the same optical axis. In vitro experiments using porcine brain were performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the automatic
laser scanning, fluorescence detection, and
laser ablation system. The proposed fluorescence-guided
laser ablation system can provide accurate analysis and high-precision treatment for
tumor resection in neurosurgery. With further improvement, the system can be used in neurosurgical implementation to provide accurate, safe, and simple surgical diagnosis and
therapy.