Preliminary Establishment of a Method and System for Detecting Neural Tumor Boundaries Based on Optical Coherence Tomography

Surgical intervention is vital for treating neural system tumors, with precise intraoperative determination of tumor boundaries crucial for safe and effective surgery. Optical coherence tomography (OCT), offering noninvasive, real-time imaging, presents a promising solution. This study developed a swept-source OCT system using a 1310 nm wavelength laser, enhanced by microelectromechanical systems technology for improved scanning accuracy. Neural tumor specimens and peritumoral tissues were analyzed, alongside evaluations in animal models, including rats and mice with gliomas, schwannomas, and meningiomas, to assess the system's real-time surgical application. Results revealed significantly lower light attenuation in human glioma samples than in peritumoral tissues (<i>p</i> = 0.019), with an receiver operating characteristic curve area under the curve of 0.846. Gliomas exhibited higher pixel values and gentler trend line slopes (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Animal models showed the OCT system was capable of detecting nerves and their epineurium located deep to schwannomas and meningiomas (at depths <3 mm), which appeared as thin, tubular, or crescent-shaped images with higher density compared with the surrounding tissue. These findings highlight the OCT system's ability to differentiate tumor from nontumoral tissues, demonstrating its potential as a handheld tool for precise boundary detection in neurosurgery. This advancement represents a promising step toward improving the accuracy of tumor resection.