Shimadzu has entered the medical near-infrared camera market with the release of its new Lightvision near-infrared fluorescence imaging system. The new system is designed to support breast cancer treatment through the visualisation of lymph vessels and blood vessels based on the detection of near-infrared fluorescent light emitted from indocyanine green (ICG).
Due to the increasing rate of breast cancer morbidity, Shimadzu has invested significant resources toward applying state-of-the-art science and technology supporting the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. The new system has been developed as part of this ongoing initiative.
The Lightvision system creates real time contrast images of lymph vessels below tissue surfaces by administering ICG through the lymph vessels, exposing the corresponding tissue to excitation light, and then detecting and visualising the slight emission of near-infrared light from the ICG, which is invisible to the naked eye. By visualising the lymph vessels during surgery, the surgeon can perform surgical procedures while monitoring the position of lymph vessels being excised, for example, on a monitor screen. This is especially useful for identifying the position of sentinel lymph nodes, which are important for diagnosing the metastasis status of cancer cells during breast cancer surgery.
Furthermore, by visualising the ICG administered through blood veins, the blood flow can also be confirmed during surgery by performing intraoperative angiography. This is especially useful for evaluating blood flow through flaps and anastomotic vessels during breast reconstructive surgery.
Shimadzu's long-term goal is to provide comprehensive support for early diagnosis, examination, treatment and prognosis management of diseases.
