Mantis Shrimp Vision Inspires New Single-Chip Camera to Detect Cancerous Lymph Nodes During Surgery

New single-chip imager inspired by mantis shrimp helps surgeons find and assess cancerous lymph nodes using UV and infrared light.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 17, 2026, 6:55 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Bioinspired Engineering for Precision Oncology

A research team at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has introduced a compact, single-chip imager designed to revolutionize intraoperative decision-making during cancer surgery. Inspired by the complex, multiwavelength visual systems of the mantis shrimp, the camera captures ultraviolet (UV), near-infrared (NIR), and visible light simultaneously. This technological leap allows surgeons to move beyond simply finding a lymph node to actually assessing its pathological state while the patient is still on the operating table. Lead researcher Viktor Gruev noted that the system aims to resolve the current surgical dilemma of over-treatment or under-treatment by providing immediate biochemical feedback.

The Architectural Genius of the Mantis Shrimp Eye

To overcome the bulkiness of traditional multi-sensor systems, the team replicated the stacked photoreceptor arrangement found in the eyes of mantis shrimp. These crustaceans utilize rows of light-sensing cells to separate various parts of the spectrum in an extremely compact space. By integrating pixel-level filters and stacked light-sensing layers onto a single silicon chip, the researchers achieved perfect image alignment across disparate wavelengths. A specialized mirror-based lens ensures that UV and NIR signals remain in focus together, a feat that standard glass lenses struggle to achieve due to chromatic aberration.

Dual-Wavelength Mapping of Metastatic Tissue

The camera utilizes a dual-track imaging approach to provide a comprehensive view of the surgical field. Near-infrared imaging is employed to track indocyanine green (ICG), a standard clinical dye that highlights the lymphatic drainage pathways to locate the "sentinel" nodes. Once a node is identified, the camera switches to UV-based sensing to detect the tissue's inherent autofluorescence. This label-free optical signature acts as a metabolic indicator, revealing the biochemical shifts associated with cancer cells without requiring the injection of targeted radioactive or chemical tracers.