HYPERSNAP

Surgeons need to know whether the bowel they are operating on has a healthy blood supply. Poor blood supply can lead to complications such as a leak where the bowel is joined back together. Today surgeons judge this mainly by eye, or by injecting a dye that can only be used a few times per operation.

The HYPERSNAP Surgical System is a camera that uses ordinary, safe light to show the surgeon a normal colour picture and, at the same time, a colour-coded map of how much oxygen is in the tissue, updated live and without any dye or radiation. It has already been used in around 80 operations at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital.

In this project we would securely obtain the images recorded during those operations, along with basic information about the diagnosis and the type of operation, so that we can not only check the camera is working well but also check and improve how the camera performs. Better, more reliable perfusion information could help surgeons make safer decisions, reduce complications, and improve recovery, without adding any dye, radiation or extra risk for patients. Beyond improving the device, the project will also build shared knowledge of how healthy and poorly-perfused bowel appears at different stages of an operation. This can help train surgeons, support common standards, and ultimately make surgery safer for future patients.

The commercial partner, Hypervision Surgical, is a King's College London spin-out that designed and built the device. This makes them well placed to lead the technical analysis and apply findings directly to device improvement.