Assessing Perfusion Changes in Clinical Oncology Applications Using Hyperspectral Imaging

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) holds potential in clinical applications, providing valuable information about perfusion using visible light. A key advantage of HSI is that it is non-contact, non-ionizing, and non-invasive, while also eliminating the need for contrast agents. In medical practices, HSI has shown promising results in detecting different types of carcinomas and assessing perfusion in healing processes like transplants and wound management. Considering the critical role of perfusion in oncology, we have reviewed the utility of HSI in quantifying perfusion changes during clinical interventions. Our previous systematic literature review concentrated on neoplasms located in anatomical sites such as the kidneys, breasts, eyes, brain, and gastrointestinal (GI) tract during open surgery. In this paper, we expanded our work by focusing on recent advances in laparoscopic HSI during esophagectomy, which represents an important step in the evaluation of anastomotic perfusion during GI conduit reconstruction. In line with our earlier study, we have established that HSI demonstrates remarkable potential as an imaging technique within a clinical oncology setting.