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photoacoustic microscopy
Hao F. Zhang, Konstantin Maslov, and Mathangi SivaramakrishnanGheorghe StoicaLihong V. Wang
Imaging hemoglobin oxygen saturation 共SO2兲 is impor- quency, large bandwidth, and large numerical aperture is em-
tant for understanding brain hemodynamics in response to ployed, the PA sources can be localized with high spatial
sensory stimulations.1 It is also invaluable for numerous resolution to image the internal optical absorption distribu-
medical applications, such as evaluating the effects of che- tion. Since HbR and HbO2 are two of the major optical ab-
motherapy and radiotherapy on tumors,2 monitoring the sorbers in tissues, PAM is well suited to the imaging of blood
healing of wounds,3 and studying gene expression.4 vessels within an appropriate spectral region. Based on only
However, SO2 has not been routinely imaged due to the ex- endogenous contrast, PAM can reach a signal-to-background
isting noninvasive methods’ lack of either spatial resolution contrast of 3500% with high sensitivity and specificity
or sensitivity. Current techniques that show potential for in vivo.8 PAM provides better spatial resolution than NIRS
SO2 imaging include near-infrared spectroscopy 共NIRS兲, by taking advantage of ultrasonic detection, and it provides
blood-oxygen-level-dependent 共BOLD兲 contrast magnetic higher sensitivity than MRI due to high physiologically spe-
resonance imaging 共MRI兲, electron paramagnetic resonance cific optical absorption contrast.
imaging 共EPRI兲, positron emission tomography 共PET兲, and In this letter, we report on using PAM in vivo to image
single photon emission tomography 共SPET兲. NIRS measures dynamic SO2 variations in single subcutaneous vessels under
diffuse light at different wavelengths and calculates the SO2 three physiological states: hyperoxia, normoxia, and hy-
based on spectral measurements and the molar extinction poxia. Prior to the in vivo study, the PAM system was tested
differences between deoxyhemoglobin 共HbR兲 and oxyhemo- by 共1兲 calculating the concentration fraction of red ink in
globin 共HbO2兲. However, it suffers from poor spatial resolu- double-ink 共blue and red inks兲 solutions and 共2兲 comparing
tion because of the strong optical scattering in biological the SO2 values from PAM measurements with values ac-
tissues. Although BOLD MRI can provide high spatial reso- quired by a standard optical method using bovine blood
lution, it is only sensitive to HbR and has trouble distinguish- samples ex vivo.
ing between changes in oxygenation levels and changes in To focus on the imaging of dynamic SO2 variation here,
blood flow.4 Because it is unable to image intrinsic contrast, we skip the explanations for the instruments and the imaging
EPRI requires the injection of potentially toxic free-radical procedure of PAM. However, readers are referred to our pre-
contrast agents. PET and SPET require the intravenous ad- vious works for details.6–9
ministration of radioactive isotopes, and both have poor spa- PAM measures SO2 in the same way NIRS does,14
tial resolution. where HbR and HbO2 are treated as the dominant absorbing
Photoacoustic microscopy5–9 共PAM兲 is a high-resolution compounds at each wavelength 共i兲. Thus the blood absorp-
functional modality that images optical absorption contrast tion coefficient a共i兲 共cm−1兲 can be expressed as
based on ultrasonic detection through the photoacoustic 共PA兲
effect. It detects the emitted acoustic waves that result from a共i兲 = HbR共i兲关HbR兴 + HbO2共i兲关HbO2兴, 共1兲
short-pulsed laser-induced transient thermoelastic expansion
when the incident optical energy is absorbed and transformed where HbR共i兲 and HbO2共i兲 are the known molar extinction
into heat.10–13 If an ultrasonic detector with high central fre- coefficients 共cm−1 M −1兲 of HbR and HbO2 at wavelength i,
respectively, and 关HbR兴 and 关HbO2兴 are the concentrations of
a兲
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; present address:
the two forms of hemoglobin, respectively. Since the ampli-
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. tude of the acquired localized PA signal 共i , x , y , z兲 is pro-
Louis; electronic mail: lhwang@biomed.wustl.edu portional to the local optical energy deposition, we can re-
FIG. 1. 共a兲 PAM measurements of the fraction of the red ink concentration
in a mixture of red and blue inks 共关Red兴/关Red兴⫹关Blue兴兲. 共b兲 Comparison of
PAM measurements with spectrophotometric measurements of SO2 in ex
vivo bovine blood samples.
冋 关HbR兴
关HbO2兴
册 共x,y,z兲
= 共M TM兲−1M T⌽共x,y,z兲K, 共2兲
taneous blood vessels in a 200 g Sprague Dawley rat in vivo. 共a兲 Structural
image reflecting the total hemoglobin concentration acquired at the 584 nm
optical wavelength under hyperoxia. 共b兲 Static SO2 image within the marked
region in panel A under normoxia, where arteries and veins are pseudocol-
where ored red and blue, respectively, based on the imaged SO2 values. 共c兲 Image
of the SO2 changes from normoxia to hypoxia 共hypoxia value—normoxia
冤 冥 冤 冥
HbR共1兲 HbO2共1兲 共1,x,y,z兲 value兲. 共d兲 Image of SO2 changes from normoxia to hyperoxia 共hyperoxia
value—normoxia value兲. 共e兲 Typical imaged values of SO2 in venous and
M= ] ] , ⌽共x,y,z兲 = ] , arterial bloods under all three physiological states, where different trends of
HbR共n兲 HbO2共n兲 共n,x,y,z兲 variation are observed.
After images were acquired at all four different optical wave- brain cortex is more than 1.5 mm,26 PAM has an advantage
lengths at each physiological state, the 关HbR兴 and 关HbO2兴 over the existing optical method1 due to its large imaging
were first calculated on a point-by-point basis, and then the depth.
SO2 was calculated within the blood vessels only, based on a In summary, PAM has been used to image the variations
vessel segmentation from Fig. 2共a兲. Because the SO2 levels in blood oxygenation in single vessels in vivo under three
of venous and arterial bloods are physiologically distinctive, physiological states with high spatial resolution and high
arteries and veins can be separated based on the imaged SO2 sensitivity. . Because the current imaging speed is limited
values9 as shown in Fig. 2共b兲. Consequently, dynamic varia- only by the laser pulse rate 共10 Hz兲, a higher repetition rate
tions in SO2 between the physiological states were imaged laser will significantly reduce the data acquisition time.
on a vessel-by-vessel basis. Figures 2共c兲 and 2共d兲, respec-
tively, show the differential MAP images of the SO2 changes The authors thank O. Craciun, G. Ku, and G. Lungu for
from normoxia to hypoxia and from normoxia to hyperoxia experimental assistance. This work was sponsored by Na-
in single vessels. In this special case, the typical imaged tional Institutes of Health Grant Nos. R01 EB000712 and
values of SO2 in venous and arterial bloods under all three R01 NS46214.
physiological states are given in Fig. 2共e兲 for comparison.
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