High-speed dual-view photoacoustic imaging pen

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Medical Imaging
• Photoacoustic Imaging

Background:

• Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) is valuable for studying diseases in various organs.
• Current PAI techniques are often limited to laboratory settings using animal models or tissue slices.
• Conventional photoacoustic microscopy struggles with detecting hard-to-reach internal areas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a handheld photoacoustic imaging (PAI) pen for clinical applications.
• To extend PAI capabilities to internal organs like the oral cavity, throat, cervix, and abdominal viscera.
• To create a versatile PAI device for both forward and lateral detection.

Main Methods:

• Development of a handheld PAI pen with a 2.4 mm diameter imaging area.
• Implementation of high-speed (4 fps) and high-resolution (0.25 fps) imaging modes.
• Performance evaluation using phantom imaging and human oral cavity scans.

Main Results:

• The PAI pen successfully imaged microvessels in the human oral cavity with clarity.
• The device demonstrated capability for both forward and lateral detection.
• The PAI pen offers flexible imaging speeds to suit clinical needs.

Conclusions:

• The developed PAI pen is suitable for clinical use, particularly in challenging anatomical regions.
• This technology shows promise for assisting in the diagnosis of diseases in the oral cavity and similar areas.
• The PAI pen represents a significant step towards broader clinical adoption of photoacoustic microscopy.