Novadaq, Firefly, and da Vinci

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Peter Borgstrom

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May 21, 2013, 7:07:20 PM5/21/13

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Hi Team-

This is the first I have seen of this, but Novadaq, a fluorescence imaging company, has integrated a fluorescence imaging system for the da Vinci, called Firefly. It uses near infrared fluorescence imaging (NIRF) combined with indocyanine green fluorescence (IGF). IGF binds preferentially in vasculature, so it helps illuminate areas with poor blood supply. This is can be used for tumor margin delineation and a few other purposes. The fluorescence image can be seen as an overlay over the regular endoscopic image, or it can be displayed adjacent to it. Here are some images:

http://www.intuitivesurgical.com/company/media/images/firefly.html

Novadaq also has a patent for using this system to visualize nerve cells using a dye/viral component complex:

https://www.google.com/patents/EP2285417A1?cl=en&dq=novadaq+spy&hl=en&sa=X&ei=0vmbUaiZFOHniAKowICwDg&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAA

Hopefully, FLIM proves to be superior in nerve visualization to both the multi-photon microscopy and NIRF techniques, if not for general nerve, than specifically to prostate. But it looks like there is a lot we would have to work with/around to develop an implementation with the da Vinci.