Sections of malignant tissue removed from a patient's body are
typically inspected by a pathologist in a lengthy, human-capital
intensive procedure. The pathologist ensures that all malignant
tissue has been removed by confirming the presence of an outer
layer of healthy tissue. Removal of healthy tissue can, however,
cause loss of function, pain, and morbidity. Thus, surgeons may
attempt to avoid excessive removal of healthy tissue by
carefully watching the boundaries of the surgical cavity using a
surgical microscope. However, small protrusions and filaments of
tumor that escape microscopic detection may lead to metathesis.
In order to enhance patient survival by simultaneously ensuring
complete tumor removal and minimizing damage to normal tissue,
Dartmouth inventors have developed an instrument for automated
identification of tissue types, as well as methods for using the
instrument. The instrument optically scans a field of view and
obtains spectra that correlate with oxygenated hemoglobin,
deoxygenated