Optical fine-needle biopsy approach for intraoperative multimodal diagnostics in minimally invasive abdominal surgery

The paper describes the methodology and technical implementation of a multimodal approach for optical diagnostics in hepatopancreatobiliary organs focal and diffuse neoplasms. Fine needle aspiration biopsy technique and following cytological examination show its effectiveness and safety but its performing takes several days. However, the problem of real-time analysis of pathological changes in tissues remains relevant. The solution suggested is implementing of optical biopsy methods (namely fluorescence spectroscopy and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy) in the form of fiber-optic probe compatible with standard biopsy fine needles. The special device was designed for this purpose to conduct optical measurements and compare the results with ones obtained by conventional biopsy. The proposed methodology seems promising for developing new diagnostic criteria for clinical practice.