ABSTRACT
Navigating instruments accurately and safely to deep brain targets significantly impacts the therapeutic outcome of stereotactic neurosurgery. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an elegant solution to address the challenges of stereotactic neurosurgery targeting brain nuclei, avoiding hemorrhage, and locating neural fibers. OCT that provides nonlabeling, real-time, and high-resolution images can potentially transform the paradigm of surgical guidance. The chapter presents the design and development of OCT devices for neurosurgery guidance. It summarizes some recent efforts in developing translational optical device for intraoperative neurosurgery guidance. Although OCT imaging has great potential to transform neurosurgery guidance, it will not be possible to bring this technology to the bedside without a translational device. In addition to detecting the at-risk vessels, high-speed forward-imaging needle-type OCT probe can be an important complementary technology for current stereotax. The forward-imaging needle-type OCT probe is a promising complementary technology for stereotaxic neurosurgery.
