Photoacoustic Imaging for Image-Guided Gastric Tube Placement: Ex Vivo Characterization

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Imaging
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Over 250,000 gastrostomy tubes (G-tubes) are placed annually in the US, primarily via percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG).
• Current PEG procedures face limitations including poor endoscope visibility, inaccurate palpation, and risks of organ perforation and bleeding.
• Existing imaging modalities like ultrasound (US) and fluoroscopy have drawbacks such as artifacts, poor tissue distinguishability, radiation exposure, and limited bedside utility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and characterize a safe, point-of-care integrated US and photoacoustic (PA) imaging system for accurate G-tube placement.
• To utilize a dual-wavelength approach with a clinically safe contrast agent for enhanced precision.
• To evaluate the system's effectiveness in improving organ visibility and detecting potential complications during G-tube procedures.

Main Methods:

• Development of an integrated US and PA imaging system.
• Utilization of a dual-wavelength approach for PA imaging.
• Ex vivo tissue studies to assess organ differentiation and contrast agent detection using Indocyanine Green (ICG).

Main Results:

• PA imaging demonstrated accurate differentiation of organs at specific wavelengths in ex vivo studies.
• The system successfully detected low concentrations of ICG dye on the colon wall.
• This indicates potential for minimizing ICG dye-related toxicity and improving procedural safety.

Conclusions:

• The integrated US and PA imaging system offers a promising solution for safer and more accurate G-tube placements.
• PA imaging enhances organ visualization and contrast agent detection, addressing limitations of current methods.
• This technology has the potential to reduce complications and improve patient outcomes in G-tube procedures.