National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) yesterday said that its medical team has successfully developed an intraoperative fluorescence imaging system that allows surgeons to work without having to repeatedly look at a monitor during an operation.
The indocyanine green fluorescence on-site Visualization and Assessment System (iFOVAS) was developed by a team of physicians and researchers from National Taiwan University, NTUH, Wang Fang Municipal Hospital and the National Applied Research Laboratories, the hospital said.
Indocyanine green (ICG) is a fluorescent dye that is used to detect cardiac output, blood flow and lymph circulation; observing tumors, blood flow after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery, lymph nodes in breast cancer patients and blood flow after organ transplantation, said Chen Yih-sharng (陳益祥), a surgeon at NTUH.
The florescence of ICG injected into the body cannot be seen with the naked eye, but can be detected with an infrared camera, so surgeons have to look up at a monitor to determine the location of the surgery site while they operate, Chen said.
“It is not difficult for experienced surgeons, but it might be difficult for doctors with less experience,” he said, adding that lymph nodes can sometimes be only about 0.5cm to 1cm in length and difficult to detect, as they are surrounded by muscle and fat tissue, so surgeons need to check ICG imaging on a monitor.
With the iFOVAS, surgeons can directly see ICG florescence in the patient’s body, helping them operate more intuitively and without distractions, Chen said.
The system was tested on animals and was used in surgeries on a breast cancer patient and a patient with cardiovascular diseases, Chen said, adding that they expect the system to be most helpful in surgeries on cancer patients.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
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