High Conductivity Saline Nanodroplets-Enhanced Thermoacoustic Imaging for Brain Tumor Detection

Maximally safe neurosurgical resection remains the gold standard for glioblastoma management. Nevertheless, the precise intraoperative localization of deep-seated glioblastoma continues to present substantial clinical challenges. To overcome these limitations, a microwave-induced thermoacoustic imaging (MTAI)-guided detection system was innovatively developed for real-time tumor tracking. This integrated platform synergizes nanosecond-pulsed microwave excitation with ultrasound detection, achieving a high spatiotemporal resolution (∼280 μm) at depths exceeding 5 cm in brain-mimicking phantoms. By employing engineered physiological saline nanodroplets exhibiting dual-enhanced glioblastoma targeting and microwave absorption, the MTAI system enables real-time imaging and localization of deep-seated glioblastoma. This overcomes the current limitations of a low imaging depth in fluorescence imaging and low contrast in ultrasound imaging. The pragmatic viability of this approach was evaluated in living mice with glioblastoma. The results indicate that the approach has the ability to real-time localize glioblastoma in deep tissues and has the potential for improving extent-of-resection metrics in neuro-oncological surgery.