Performance Comparison of Different Compact NIR Fluorescent Imaging Systems with Goggle Display for Intraoperative Image-Guidance

Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent imaging system has been widely used for intraoperative image-guided application. In this paper, we present performance comparison from three compact NIR fluorescence imaging system prototypes with goggle display that we developed for intraoperative guidance: threshold detection based two camera system, feature matching based three cameras system and miniature beam-splitter single camera system. Their performance is evaluated according to sensitivity regarding different ICG concentrations, accuracy of image overlay between NIR-visible channels, compactness and practicability in intraoperative use. The comparison results show great potentials of using these NIR fluorescence imaging systems to improve user experience and surgical outcomes in intraoperative use.