Novel Exoscope System for 5-ALA Fluorescence-Guided Surgery for Gliomas

The ORBEYE surgical microscope is an FDA-cleared apparatus designed to facilitate operating procedures that involve fine nerves, blood vessels, and other small anatomic features by providing an enlarged stereoscopic visual field of the surgical site. The 4K 3D digital images of the ORBEYE microscope provide high-resolution stereoscopic images of the fine structures of tissue and blood vessels. As the surgical procedures are displayed on a large 55-inch monitor, the device is expected to reduce fatigue of the operator by eliminating the need for extensive viewing via microscope eyepieces for an extended period of time. The technology adopted in the ORBEYE was developed by Sony Olympus Medical Solutions, and its product design was handled by Olympus Medical Systems Corp. The ORBEYE is marketed by the Olympus Corporation.

5- aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is a European Medicines Agency- and Food and Drug Administration- (FDA-) approved drug that is administered to patients 2 to 4 hours before surgery and converted preferentially by tumor cells to protoporphyrrin IX (PPIX). PPIX fluoresces red when exposed to blue light. Use of 5-ALA has previously been shown to permit surgeons to obtain a more complete tumor resection, and its use has also been associated with an increased rate of progression-free survival.(3) There are currently 2 surgical microscope systems available on the market that are equipped with a 5-ALA visualization system. These visualization systems are currently classified by the FDA as Class I-exempt accessories to Class I-cleared surgical microscopes.