Although the use of laser light for imaging tissue perfusion is known for years, its commercial availability is limited to rather bulky devices mounted on carts. This strongly limits the application in situations where compactness and flexibility of use is required. Therefore, the University of Twente has developed handheld wireless technology for imaging tissue perfusion in large areas using Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging (LSCI). The novel handheld LSCI device, the Handheld Perfusion Imager (HAPI), has features that potentially open up new medical application fields and are interesting to further explore.
Hence, the aim of this project is twofold. The first goal is to make a first exploration of intraoperative use of the HAPI in breast reconstruction surgery. The second goal is to demonstrate the handheld LSCI technology to potential key users in other clinical fields, such as dermatology and burn surgery. These Proof-of-Concept activities will provide a knowledge base for further steps in the commercialization of this technology.