Rapid examination of lung tissues by nonlinear microscopy

Area of Science:

• Pathology
• Microscopy
• Oncology

Background:

• Traditional histopathology is labor-intensive, involving formalin fixation, paraffin embedding, and H&E staining.
• Frozen section analysis offers rapid intraoperative evaluation but has limitations with specimen size, fatty, and bony tissues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the performance of nonlinear microscopy for rapid examination of resected lung tumors.
• To assess nonlinear microscopy's potential as an alternative to traditional methods.

Main Methods:

• Nonlinear microscopy imaging was performed on 73 resected lung tissue specimens from 13 patients.
• Digital nonlinear microscopy images were reviewed by pathologists alongside corresponding H&E slides.

Main Results:

• Nonlinear microscopy successfully replicated traditional H&E staining for lung tumors and nonneoplastic pulmonary structures.
• Pathologists confirmed the utility of nonlinear microscopy for evaluating diverse pulmonary pathologies.

Conclusions:

• Nonlinear microscopy is a viable optical imaging platform for rapid pathologic evaluation of resected lung tissues.
• This technique offers significant advantages over frozen section analysis, supporting digital pathology advancements.