Optiscan Imaging and Mayo Clinic to collaborate on robotic breast cancer surgery technology

Optiscan Imaging (ASX: OIL) and US medical group Mayo Clinic have joined forces to advance the development of a digital confocal laser endomicroscopic imaging system for use in robot-assisted breast cancer surgery.

The two parties are conducting the work as part of the 24-month “know-how” agreement they signed in May 2024, bringing together experts from both companies to co-develop the robot-compatible system with a view to improving surgical precision and patient outcomes.

The technology will help streamline surgical workflows by providing surgeons with high-resolution, real-time, microscopic-level imaging to enable more accurate tissue classification, cancer cell determination and cancer margin assessment.

Technology requirements

Optiscan and Mayo have worked to identify the hardware and software requirements of a standalone imaging system with the highest level of autonomy from robotic surgical systems and the capability to integrate with those systems when needed.

The system is agnostic to specific manufacturers and focuses on commonalities between the robotic systems surgeons use.

Optiscan has already connected a prototype to a surgical robotic platform at Mayo Clinic to verify that the system will be compatible with all imaging features, such as picture-in-picture visualisation.

Microscopic imaging

The connection demonstrated the feasibility of providing intraoperative microscopic imaging to complement standard camera views for surgeons.

It did so using the same interfaces currently employed during precision surgery.

The companies have also worked on the creation of imaging probe accessory prototypes to allow the integration of endomicroscopic probes with a range of surgical instruments for actions such as cutting, grasping, retracting or holding tissue during robotic-assisted operations.

Redefining precision

Optiscan managing director Dr Camile Farah said the imaging project was taking significant steps toward redefining surgical precision.

“This collaboration highlights the versatility of our imaging platform and will set the stage for the platform’s application across a range of clinical settings to improve patient care,” he said.

“We are now working with Mayo Clinic to develop a structured development process that will have multiple milestones to guide the design, testing and validation of this imaging system.”

Enhanced standard of care

Optiscan believes Mayo Clinic’s commitment to innovation is in “perfect alignment” with its own vision.

“The work we are doing together aims to enhance the standard of care in breast cancer surgery by integrating state-of-the-art imaging into the robotic surgical process, with potential to deliver better outcomes for patients while advancing the future of robotic-assisted surgical procedures,” Dr Farah said.

“Our collaboration with Mayo Clinic is just one part of our commitment to transforming healthcare through innovation and we look forward to demonstrating the progress being made to grow our suite of unique software and hardware-related medical technology products.”