Imaging System Tested to Locate Parathyroid Glands During Thyroid Surgery
Tests a camera device that makes parathyroid glands glow in adults having thyroid surgery.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Dual-Channel Near-Infrared Autofluorescence Imaging and AI Analysis to Locate Parathyroid Glands (PTFinder)
Key facts
- Where
- Fuzhou, ChinaSee the site
Where in China
- Fujian Medical University Union HospitalFuzhou, ChinaTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- Bo Wang,MD
- Trial code
- NCT07010380
- Record updated
- 18 June 2025
- Original description
This study tests PTFinder, a dual-camera system that makes parathyroid glands glow on screen by capturing their natural near-infrared autofluorescence. After a thyroid or parathyroid operation, the removed tissue is scanned with PTFinder and then checked again under normal white light. We will measure how fast (seconds) and how accurately the device finds real glands, confirmed by frozen pathology or a rapid PTH strip. About 180 adult patients at three Chinese hospitals will join. The imaging adds only a few minutes and does not change any part of the surgery. We will also record blood calcium and PTH at 1 h, 24 h, and 7 d after surgery to see whether better gland recovery lowers low-calcium risk.Collected images will also be used to train and test a deep-learning model for fully automated parathyroid recognition; model performance metrics constitute secondary outcomes.Read full original descriptionShow less
A Multicenter Prospective Paired Observational Study Evaluating the Performance of the PTFinder Dual-Channel Near-Infrared and White-Light Imaging System With AI-Assisted Analysis for Rapid Identification of Parathyroid Glands in Surgical Specimens
This study tests PTFinder, a dual-camera system that makes parathyroid glands glow on screen by capturing their natural near-infrared autofluorescence. After a thyroid or parathyroid operation, the removed tissue is scanned with PTFinder and then checked again under normal white light. We will measure how fast (seconds) and how accurately the device finds real glands, confirmed by frozen pathology or a rapid PTH strip. About 180 adult patients at three Chinese hospitals will join. The imaging adds only a few minutes and does not change any part of the surgery. We will also record blood calcium and PTH at 1 h, 24 h, and 7 d after surgery to see whether better gland recovery lowers low-calcium risk.Collected images will also be used to train and test a deep-learning model for fully automated parathyroid recognition; model performance metrics constitute secondary outcomes.
Inclusion: Age ≥18 years; Scheduled for elective total thyroidectomy, hemithyroidectomy, or parathyroidectomy with removal of thyroid/parathyroid tissue; Able and willing to provide written informed consent for participation and specimen imaging.
Exclusion: History of neck irradiation or prior neck surgery that may distort parathyroid anatomy; Confirmed or suspected parathyroid carcinoma, or thyroid carcinoma requiring en-bloc parathyroid resection; Pregnancy or breastfeeding; Inability to understand the study procedures or to comply with follow-up.