Handheld photoacoustic detector and its potential application for sentinel lymph node sensing

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In Vivo Dual-Modal Photoacoustic and Ultrasound Imaging of Sentinel Lymph Nodes Using a Solid-State Dye Laser System

Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) is being actively investigated as a non-invasive and non-radioactive imaging technique for sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy. By taking advantage of optical and ultrasound imaging, PAI probes SLNs non-invasively with methylene blue (MB) in both live animals and breast cancer patients. However, these PAI systems have limitations for widespread use in clinics and commercial marketplaces because the lasers used by the PAI systems, e.g., tunable liquid dye laser systems and optical parametric oscillator (OPO) lasers, are bulky in size, not economical, and use risky flammable and toxic liquid dyes. To overcome these limitations, we are proposing a novel dual-modal photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging system based on a solid-state dye laser (SD-PAUSI), which is compact, convenient, and carries far less risk of flammability and toxicity. Using a solid-state dye handpiece that generates 650-nm wavelength, we successfully imaged the MB tube positioned deeply (~3.9 cm) in chicken breast tissue. The SLNs were also photoacoustically detected in the in vivo rats beneath a 2.2-cm-thick layer of chicken breast, which is deeper than the typical depth of SLNs in humans (1.2 ± 0.5 cm). Furthermore, we showed the multispectral capability of the PAI by switching the dye handpiece, in which the MB-dyed SLN was selectively highlighted from the surrounding vasculature. These results demonstrated the great potential of the SD-PAUSI as an easy but effective modality for SLN detection

A photoacoustic finder fully integrated with a solid-state dye laser and transparent ultrasound transducer

The standard-of-care for evaluating lymph node status in breast cancers and melanoma metastasis is sentinel lymph node (SLN) assessment performed with a handheld gamma probe and radioisotopes. However, this method inevitably exposes patients and physicians to radiation, and the special facilities required limit its accessibility. Here, we demonstrate a non-ionizing, cost-effective, handheld photoacoustic finder (PAF) fully integrated with a solid-state dye laser and transparent ultrasound transducer (TUT). The solid-state dye laser handpiece is coaxially aligned with the spherically focused TUT. The integrated finder readily detected photo acoustic signals from a tube filled with methylene blue (MB) beneath a 22 mm thick layer of chicken tissue. In live animals, we also photoacoustically detected both SLNs injected with MB and subcutaneously injected melanomas. We believe that our radiation-free and inexpensive PAF can play a vital role in SLN assessment.11Nsciescopu

Detection of micro inclusions in steel sheets using high-frequency ultrasound speckle analysis

AbstractWith the increasing need for steel sheet quality assurance, the detection of micro-scaled inclusions in steel sheets has become critical. Many techniques have been explored to detect inclusions, e.g., visual inspection, radiography, magnetic testing, and ultrasound. Among these methods, ultrasound (US) is the most commonly used non-destructive testing (NDT) method due to its ease of use and deep penetration depth. However, ultrasound currently cannot be used for detecting the micro-scaled inclusions due to low spatial resolution, e.g., less than 30 μm, which are the key important factors causing the cracks in the high-quality steel sheets. Here, we demonstrate a high-resolution US imaging (USI) using high-frequency US transducers to image micro inclusions in steel sheets. Our system utilizes through-transmission USI and identifies ultrasound scattering produced by the inclusions. We first ultrasonically imaged the artificial flaws induced by the laser on the steel sheet surface for validating the system. We then imaged the real inclusions in the steel sheets formed during manufacturing processes and analyzed them to derive quantitative parameters related to the number of micro-scaled inclusions. Our results confirm that inclusions less than 30 μm can be identified using our high-resolution USI modality and has the potential to be used as an effective tool for quality assurance of the steel sheets.11Nsciescopu

Quantitative assessment of peripheral vasculature using a 3D bimodal photoacoustic and ultrasound foot scanner

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Surfactant‐Stripped Semiconducting Polymer Micelles for Tumor Theranostics and Deep Tissue Imaging in the NIR‐II Window

Photoacoustic imaging (PA) in the second near infrared (NIR-II) window presents key advantages for deep tissue imaging owing to reduced light scattering and low background signal from biological structures. Here, a thiadiazoloquinoxaline-based semiconducting polymer (SP) with strong absorption in the NIR-II region is reported. After encapsulation of SP in Pluronic F127 (F127) followed by removal of excess surfactant, a dual functional polymer system named surfactant-stripped semiconductor polymeric micelles (SSS-micelles) are generated with water solubility, storage stability, and high photothermal conversion efficiency, permitting tumor theranostics in a mouse model. SSS-micelles have a wideband absorption in the NIR-II window, allowing for the PA imaging at both 1064 and 1300 nm wavelengths. The PA signal of the SSS-micelles can be detected through 6.5 cm of chicken breast tissue in vitro. In mice or rats, SSS-micelles can be visualized in bladder and intestine overlaid 5 cm (signal to noise ratio, SNR approximate to 17 dB) and 5.8 cm (SNR over 10 dB) chicken breast tissue, respectively. This work demonstrates the SSS-micelles as a nanoplatform for deep tissue theranostics.11Nsciescopu

Shear-Force Photoacoustic Microscopy: Toward Super-resolution Near-Field Imaging

© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.Optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy (OR-PAM) enables both high-resolution and high-contrast imaging of optical chromophores ranging from biological tissues to inorganic samples. The lateral spatial resolution of OR-PAM depends on its optical configuration and is primarily determined by the numerical aperture of the objective lens. This study demonstrates a novel, lens-free, shear-force photoacoustic microscopy system using a tapered fiber, serving as a proof-of-concept toward the implementation of super-resolution, near-field scanning photoacoustic microscopy. An uncoated tapered fiber is attached to a quartz tuning fork, thereby maintaining the near-field distance between the fiber and sample surface via a shear-force detection mechanism. Light-field simulation confirms an evanescent wave at the end of the uncoated, tapered fiber. Based on the photoacoustic simulation and 2D photoacoustic scanning experimental results, targets are imaged with high-lateral resolutions of the order of 1.0 ± 0.3 µm. These results demonstrate the existence of near-field photoacoustic signals and the potential for future development of super-resolution, near-field, scanning photoacoustic microscopy.11Nsciescopu

Directed Assembly of High Molecular Weight Block Copolymers: Highly Ordered Line Patterns of Perpendicularly Oriented Lamellae with Large Periods

The directed assembly of block copolymer nanostructures with large periods exceeding 100 nm remains challenging because the translational ordering of long-chained block copolymer is hindered by its very low chain mobility. Using a solvent-vapor annealing process with a neutral solvent, which was sequentially combined with a thermal annealing process, we demonstrate the rapid evolution of a perpendicularly oriented lamellar morphology in high molecular weight block copolymer films on neutral substrate. The synergy with the topographically patterned substrate facilitated unidirectionally structural development of ultrahigh molecular weight block copolymer thin filmseven for the structures with a large period of 200 nmleading to perfectly guided, parallel, and highly ordered line-arrays of perpendicularly oriented lamellae in the trenched confinement. This breakthrough strategy, which is applicable to nanolithographic pattern transfer to target substrates, can be a simple and efficient route to satisfy the demand for block copolymer assemblies with larger feature sizes on hundreds of nanometers scale