How molecular imaging will enable robotic precision surgery

European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, vol. 48, pp. 4201–4224

Abstract

Molecular imaging is one of the pillars of precision surgery. Its applications range from early diagnostics to therapy planning, execution, and the accurate assessment of outcomes. In particular, molecular imaging solutions are in high demand in minimally invasive surgical strategies, such as the substantially increasing field of robotic surgery. This review aims at connecting the molecular imaging and nuclear medicine community to the rapidly expanding armory of surgical medical devices. Such devices entail technologies ranging from artificial intelligence and computer-aided visualization technologies (software) to innovative molecular imaging modalities and surgical navigation (hardware). We discuss technologies based on their role at different steps of the surgical workflow, i.e., from surgical decision and planning, over to target localization and excision guidance, all the way to (back table) surgical verification. This provides a glimpse of how innovations from the technology fields can realize an exciting future for the molecular imaging and surgery communities.

Authors 4

1. Thomas Wendler corresponding

   Technical University of Munich

   Affiliation as printed

   Chair for Computer Aided Medical Procedures and Augmented Reality, Technische Universität München, Boltzmannstr. 3, 85748, Garching bei München, Germany. wendler@tum.com

   Chair for Computer Aided Medical Procedures and Augmented Reality, Technische Universität München, Boltzmannstr. 3, 85748, Garching bei München, Germany

2. Fijs W. B. van Leeuwen Aachen Department of Radiology, Interventional Molecular Imaging Laboratory

   Leiden University · Leiden University Medical Center · The Netherlands Cancer Institute · ORSI Academy

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Radiology, Interventional Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

   Department of Urology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antonie van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

   Orsi Academy, Melle, Belgium

3. Nassir Navab

   Johns Hopkins University · Technical University of Munich

   Affiliation as printed

   Chair for Computer Aided Medical Procedures Laboratory for Computational Sensing + Robotics, Johns-Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

   Chair for Computer Aided Medical Procedures and Augmented Reality, Technische Universität München, Boltzmannstr. 3, 85748, Garching bei München, Germany

4. Matthias N. van Oosterom Aachen Department of Radiology, Interventional Molecular Imaging Laboratory

   Leiden University · Leiden University Medical Center · The Netherlands Cancer Institute

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Radiology, Interventional Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

   Department of Urology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antonie van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands