Enhanced dual-mode imaging: Superior photoacoustic and ultrasound endoscopy in live pigs using a transparent ultrasound transducer

Sci Adv. 2024 Nov 22;10(47):eadq9960. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adq9960. Epub 2024 Nov 22.

Abstract

Dual-mode photoacoustic/ultrasound endoscopy (ePAUS) is a promising tool for preclinical and clinical interventions. To be clinically useful, ePAUS must deliver high-performance ultrasound imaging comparable to commercial systems and maintain high photoacoustic imaging performance at long working distances. This requires a transducer with an intact physical aperture and coaxial alignment of acoustic and optical beams within the probe, a challenging integration task. We present a high-performance ePAUS probe with a miniaturized, optically transparent ultrasonic transducer (TUT) called ePAUS-TUT. The 1.8-mm-diameter probe, fitting into standard endoscopic channels, aligns acoustic and optical beams efficiently, achieving commercial-level ultrasound and high-resolution photoacoustic imaging over long distances. These imaging capabilities were validated through in vivo imaging of a rat's rectum and a pig's esophagus. The ePAUS-TUT system substantially enhances feasibility and potential for clinical applications.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Endoscopy / instrumentation
  • Endoscopy / methods
  • Equipment Design
  • Esophagus / diagnostic imaging
  • Photoacoustic Techniques* / instrumentation
  • Photoacoustic Techniques* / methods
  • Rats
  • Rectum / diagnostic imaging
  • Swine
  • Transducers*
  • Ultrasonography / instrumentation
  • Ultrasonography / methods