Intraoperative Probes and Imaging Probes

This chapter provides an overview of counting and imaging probes, which are used to obtain count measurements and images during surgery. This chapter begins with the history of development of intraoperative probes. These have been employed to assist in the detection and removal of tumors since the 1950s. The intraoperative imaging probes have been developed to see the details of the detected activity, giving the potential of using the technique in a low-contrast environment. Intraoperative probes are now established as clinical devices. The basic principles of intraoperative probe detectors and many variations of the gas detector, solid-state detector and scintillation detector are discussed in this chapter. The usefulness of procedures using an intraoperative probe must be considered in terms of a measurement system. This system consists of the radiation detector, the radioisotope, and the compound that is labeled. These probes also have a commercial infrastructure to support their continued use, and there is ongoing research, both commercial and academic, that ensures continued progress and renewed interest in this slowly developing field.

Duke Scholars

Author Martin Paul Tornai Radiology