In Vivo Assessment of Cardiac Radiofrequency Ablation in a Large-Animal Model Using Photoacoustic-Ultrasound Imaging

Area of Science:

• Biomedical optics
• Medical imaging
• Cardiovascular interventions

Background:

• Intraoperative assessment of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) lesions is crucial for effective treatment but remains challenging.
• Existing methods lack the precision for real-time feedback on lesion characteristics.
• Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) has shown potential in ex vivo studies for characterizing RFA lesions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the in vivo feasibility of photoacoustic imaging (PAI) for intraoperative assessment of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) lesion dimensions.
• To compare PAI-derived lesion measurements with gross pathologic assessments in a preclinical model.

Main Methods:

• Three epicardial RFA lesions were created in an open-chest porcine model.
• Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) was employed, utilizing near-infrared light and ultrasound transducers for tissue characterization.
• In vivo PAI measurements of lesion dimensions were recorded.

Main Results:

• In vivo PAI measurements accurately determined RFA lesion dimensions.
• The error between PAI measurements and gross pathologic assessment was less than 0.7 mm.
• Feasibility of PAI for intraoperative RFA lesion sizing was established.

Conclusions:

• Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) is a feasible technology for in vivo, intraoperative assessment of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) lesion dimensions.
• PAI offers a non-invasive, optically based method for real-time feedback during cardiac ablation procedures.
• This technique has the potential to improve the accuracy and efficacy of RFA treatments.