System and methods for identifying vessels within tissue

A system for identifying a vessel within tissue, the system comprising:

• an end effector configured to grasp tissue, the end effector including a first jaw member and a second jaw member;
• an optical light source configured to emit optical light to the grasped tissue and fixed at the first jaw member;
• a light sensor configured to receive the optical light that has passed through the grasped tissue, and fixed at the second jaw member;
• a location sensor configured to detect location information of the end effector;
• a processor configured to receive a graphical representation of a surgical site, process the received light to identify a vessel, which is encompassed within the grasped tissue, and synchronize a location of the identified vessel within the graphical representation based on the location information;
• and
• a display configured to display the identified vessel at the synchronized location in the graphical representation.