Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40080492›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

A novel flexible near-infrared endoscopic device that enables real-time artificial intelligence fluorescence tissue characterization.

Gareth Gallagher, Ra'ed Malallah, Jonathan P Epperlein, Jeffrey Dalli, Niall Hardy, Abhinav Jindal, Pol G MacAonghusa, Ronan A Cahill

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
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  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Gareth GallagherSchool of Medicine, The Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Ra'ed MalallahSchool of Medicine, The Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Jonathan P EpperleinIBM Research Europe, Dublin, Ireland.
Jeffrey DalliSchool of Medicine, The Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Niall HardySchool of Medicine, The Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Abhinav JindalSchool of Medicine, The Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1953-4910
Pol G MacAonghusaIBM Research Europe, Dublin, Ireland.
Ronan A CahillSchool of Medicine, The Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1270-4000

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Real-time endoscopic rectal lesion characterization employing artificial intelligence (AI) and near-infrared (NIR) imaging of the fluorescence perfusion indicator agent Indocyanine Green (ICG) has demonstrated promise. However, commercially available fluorescence endoscopes do not possess the flexibility and anatomical reach capabilities of colonoscopy while commercial flexible scopes do not yet provide beyond visible spectral imaging. This limits the application of this AI-NIR classification technology. Here, to close this technical gap, we present our development of a colonoscope-compatible flexible imaging probe for NIR-ICG visualization combined with a full field of view machine learning (ML) algorithm for fluorescence quantification and perfusion pattern cross-correlation (including first in human testing). The imaging probe is capable of 133µm minimum object resolution, with a maximum working distance of 50mm and an excitation illumination power of 52mW with 75o average field of illumination (meaning minimum device tip distance from target is 13 mm for a 2 cm polyp). The system demonstrated ex-vivo and in-vivo NIR visualization of clinically relevant concentrations of ICG in both resected and in situ (extracorporeally) colon in patients undergoing colorectal resection. A previously developed AI-NIR perfusion quantification algorithm was applied to videos of a bench model of varying ICG flow captured with the developed flexible system with added ML features generated full field of view pixel-level fluorescence time-series measurements capable of distinguishing distinct ICG flow regions in the image via correlative dynamic fluorescence intensity profiles. Jaccard Index comparison of the AI -generated flow regions against manually delineated flow regions resulted in 79% accuracy. While further clinical validation of the AI-NIR polyp classification method is on-going (in the Horizon Europe Awarded CLASSICA project), other use case applications of NIR colonoscopy include simpler perioperative perfusion assessment in patients undergoing colorectal resection and combination with targeted agents in development thus encouraging continuing development and design optimization of this flexible NIR imaging probe to enable clinical and commercial translation.

Indexed as

Artificial IntelligenceColonoscopyAlgorithmsColonFluorescenceHumansIndocyanine GreenMachine LearningSpectroscopy, Near-InfraredIndocyanine Green

Identifiers

PMID40080492
PMCPMC11906065

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.