Cerenkov Radiation Energy Transfer Imaging Combined with probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy for precise image-guide tumor resection

Abstract

Cerenkov luminescence imaging (CLI) has been extensively studied in the area of image-guided tumor resection surgery because they can use non-toxic radioactive probe. However the extending of CLI application remains challenging due to the CLI signal intensity is weak and the penetration ability is insufficient. In this study we used the clinical contrast agent fluorescein sodium to enhance the CLI signals based on the Cerenkov Radiation Energy Transfer (CRET). Besides probebased confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE) enables the use of fluorescein sodium (FS) as a contrast agent for cell-level microscopic imaging. Then we combined the CRET with the pCLE imaging to provide tumor information of cellular level and show the precise tumor margins for resection during the surgery. The results indicate the CRET imaging can greatly boost the light intensity of tumor and the pCLE can accurate identify the tumor boundary for precise image-guide tumor resection.