Implementing a standardized method for assessment of open-field guided surgery systems

Multiple FGS devices have been FDA cleared for use in open and laparoscopic surgery. Despite the rapid growth of the field, there has been a lack of standardization methods. We propose a system evaluation pipeline through the use of photo-stable ICG fluorescence phantoms. The approach is validated across five different FDA-approved open-FGS systems which are characterized for: spatial resolution, sensitivity and linearity, imaging depth, depth of field, uniformity, spatial distortion, signal-background ratio, excitation wavelength bands and power. The results highlight how such a standardization approach can be successfully implemented for inter-system comparisons and to better understand features within each device.