Label‐free in vivo imaging of peripheral nerve by multispectral photoacoustic tomography

Abstract

Unintentional surgical damage to nerves is mainly due to poor visualization of nerve tissue relative to adjacent structures. Multispectral photoacoustic tomography can provide chemical information with specificity and ultrasonic spatial resolution with centimeter imaging depth, making it a potential tool for noninvasive neural imaging. To implement this label‐free imaging approach, a multispectral photoacoustic tomography platform was built. Imaging depth and spatial resolution were characterized. In vivo imaging of the femoral nerve that is 2 mm deep in a nude mouse was performed. Through multivariate curve resolution analysis, the femoral nerve was discriminated from the femoral artery and chemical maps of their spatial distributions were generated.

Lack of association between acupoint sensitization and microcirculatory structural changes in a mouse model of knee osteoarthritis: A pilot study

“…Therefore, whether the negative results of this study are related to the shallow imaging depth of OR‐PAM should be confirmed by additional studies. Photoacoustic computed tomography has promised a greater detection depth , which can be introduced into studies of acupoint sensitization. In addition, the time needed to acquire an image with OR‐PAM is dependent on the imaging range, scanning step and scanning speed.…”

Emerging technologies in neuromuscular ultrasound

“…Investigators are already exploring methods for improvement. For example, Li et al demonstrated that surface illumination of tissue can provide an imaging depth of up to 2 mm . This technique is not limited to external surfaces; light is introduced into tissues using an optical fiber, then imaged at the surface with a clinical ultrasound transducer (14‐5 MHz).…”

Adjustable photoacoustic tomography probe improves light delivery and image quality

“…Therefore, PAT can provided useful compositional information that complements current clinical imaging modalities, thus emphasizing the capability of this imaging approach to improve medical care. These characteristics highlight the potential of the technology to be used for a variety of biomedical applications including atherosclerosis [[4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9]], cancer [[10], [11], [12]], and nerve imaging [13]. …”