Abstract

In this study, a photoacoustic super-resolution imaging technique was developed through imaging the activation of Cyanine 7.5-coated phase-change nanodroplets using a preclinical photoacoustic imaging system and localizing the activated droplets. As a proof-of-concept experiment, photoacoustic images of flowing dye-coated nanodroplets in microfluidic channels were obtained with a cylindrically focused curved-array. Experimental results showed that super-resolution images can resolve the microfluidic channels which cannot be resolved by conventional beamformed images. The results also showed that the dye-coated phase-change nanodroplets can be optically activated in vivo and the activation signals can be separated from the image background by applying singular value decomposition filtering, and be used for further super-localization processing. Such nanodroplets can offer better biocompatibility, as well as more flexible and controllable droplet activation rates, with potential for super-resolution imaging of static and extravascular targets, compared to existing contrast agents used in existing localization-based photoacoustic super-resolution imaging techniques.

Highlights

  • Photoacoustic imaging is a biomedical imaging modality which can provide high-resolution, multi-contrast images of biological structures [1]

  • Various optical super-resolution imaging techniques have been developed to break the diffraction limit in spatial resolution, and photo-activated localization microscopy (PALM) [4] and stochastic reconstruction microscopy (STORM) [5] are examples of localization methods based on sequentially acquired image data

  • High-boiling-point perfluorocarbon nanodroplets have been used in photoacoustic super-resolution imaging as they can be repeatedly activated by laser pulses between which they recondense to continuously provide localization events [8]

Read more

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Photoacoustic imaging is a biomedical imaging modality which can provide high-resolution, multi-contrast images of biological structures [1]. Various optical super-resolution imaging techniques have been developed to break the diffraction limit in spatial resolution, and photo-activated localization microscopy (PALM) [4] and stochastic reconstruction microscopy (STORM) [5] are examples of localization methods based on sequentially acquired image data. Inspired by optical super-resolution imaging, ultrasound super-resolution imaging techniques using flowing microbubble contrast agents were developed in order to resolve microvascular structures beyond the diffraction limit in deeper regions of tissues [6, 7]. Unlike ultrasound super-resolution imaging using microbubbles, AWSALM does not require flow to generate new super-resolution signals for super-resolved localization of microbubbles over time It requires much less energy/pressure to perform super-resolution imaging compared to other droplet-vaporization based super-resolution techniques. We show the activation patterns of Cy-droplets in vivo, which demonstrates the potential of applying this technique in vivo

Nanodroplet Preparation
REASULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
Findings
CONCLUSION
Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.