Publication:

Development of detection method for automatic hemostasis using machine learning with abdominal cavity irrigation

Background Abdominal cavity irrigation is a more minimally invasive surgery than that using a gas. Minimally invasive surgery improves the quality of life of patients; however, it demands higher skills from the doctors. Therefore, the study aimed to reduce the burden by assisting and automating the hemostatic procedure a highly frequent procedure by taking advantage of the clearness of the endoscopic images and continuous bleeding point observations in the liquid. We aimed to construct a method for detecting organs, bleeding sites, and hemostasis regions.

Methods We developed a method to perform real-time detection based on machine learning using laparoscopic videos. Our training dataset was prepared from three experiments in pigs. Linear support vector machine was applied using new color feature descriptors. In the verification of the accuracy of the classifier, we performed five-part cross-validation. Classification processing time was measured to verify the real-time property. Furthermore, we visualized the time series class change of the surgical field during the hemostatic procedure.

Results The accuracy of our classifier was 98.3% and the processing cost to perform real-time was enough. Furthermore, it was conceivable to quantitatively indicate the completion of the hemostatic procedure based on the changes in the bleeding region by ablation and the hemostasis regions by tissue coagulation.

Conclusions The organs, bleeding sites, and hemostasis regions classification was useful for assisting and automating the hemostatic procedure in the liquid. Our method can be adapted to more hemostatic procedures.