Journal of Biophotonics最新文献

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is a major contributor to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), resulting in neurodevelopmental abnormalities. This study utilizes photoacoustic tomography (PAT) to investigate the effects of PAE on fetal brain vasculature in mice. PAT imaging was conducted from embryonic Day 10 (E10) to Day 20 (E20), aimed to compare two alcohol-exposed groups with a control group. Key vascular parameters, including blood vessel diameter and density, and oxygen saturation (sO₂), were analyzed. Results show significant reductions in vessel size and density, as well as reduced sO₂ levels, in alcohol-exposed groups, especially from E14 onward, compared to controls. These findings underscore the vulnerability of the fetal brain to alcohol exposure during early development and highlight the potential of PAT as a valuable tool for investigating FASD-related vascular changes.

Employing longer wavelengths in optical microscopic imaging is recognized for its advantage in deep penetration. However, the 1550 nm spectrum band is often overlooked due to water's high absorption coefficient. This study investigates the feasibility of 1550 nm center wavelength-based optical coherence tomography (OCT) for imaging the cerebral vasculature and blood flow in the mouse brain cortex. In comparison to a commercial 1310 nm OCT system, the 1550 nm OCT system exhibits greater attenuation in deeper regions while yielding similar results in blood flow imaging across the entire cortex layers. Given the widespread use of the 1550 nm wavelength band in the communication industry, the associated costs for light sources, linear cameras, and optic components are relatively lower than those of the 1310 and 1700 nm bands. Therefore, the 1550 nm band OCT could be a favorable choice for imaging deep brain cerebral hemodynamics.

Fibrous meningiomas, a common type of brain tumor, present surgical challenges due to their variable hardness, which is crucial for complete resection and patient prognosis. This study explores the use of label-free multiphoton microscopy (MPM) for the objective assessment of the texture of fibrous meningiomas. Fresh tumor samples from 20 patients were analyzed using both multichannel and lambda mode MPM, with quantitative image analysis algorithms determining collagen content and multi-peak spectral fitting providing additional optical collagen metrics. The study compared medium and hard fibrous meningiomas, utilizing receiver operating characteristic analysis to evaluate predictive performance. Microstructural features were clearly visualized, enabling accurate diagnosis. Collagen-related parameters significantly differentiated between moderate and hard tumors (p < 0.05). High predictive values were observed for collagen content, collagen-to-NADH-free ratio, and collagen-to-FAD ratio (AUC = 0.748–0.839). A multivariate logistic model combining these biomarkers significantly improved diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.907). The findings suggest that MPM, with its ability to visualize and quantify microstructures such as collagen and cells without the need for staining, holds strong potential for rapid, objective, and accurate assessment of tumor texture during neurosurgery. The integration of MPM with multiphoton endoscopy paves the way for potential in vivo applications in the future.

Three-dimensional pulse wave's morphologies are essential biomarkers for assessing cardiovascular functionality. However, existing methods only provide sparse amplitude representations, limiting their diagnostic potential. This study employs a photometric stereo approach to enhance the spatial resolution of pulse waves by capturing video footage of skin surface micro-vibrations induced by blood volume fluctuations in underlying arteries. This non-invasive imaging modality enables the reconstruction of three-dimensional pulse waves and enriches our understanding of their spatial and temporal characteristics. By visualizing and analyzing the captured data, we gained new insights into the physiological origins of the optical signals reflected from the skin surface and their dynamic features, which are critical for evaluating cardiovascular health. This study has potential to advance new biomarkers for cardiovascular function assessment and improve the accuracy of diagnostic tools.

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is the most commonly used marker of prostate cancer. However, nearly 25% of men with elevated PSA levels do not have cancer and nearly 20% of patients with prostate cancer have normal serum PSA levels. Therefore, in this study, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was investigated as a new tool for detection of prostate cancer from urine. Obtained results showed higher levels of glucose, urea and creatinine in urine collected from patients with prostate cancer than that in control. Principal component analysis (PCA) was not noticed possibility of differentiation urine collected from healthy and nonhealthy patients. However, machine learning algorithms showed 0.90 accuracy and precision of FTIR in detection of prostate cancer from urine. We showed that wavenumbers at 1614 cm⁻¹ and 2972 cm⁻¹ were candidates for prostate cancer spectroscopy markers. Importantly, these FTIR markers correlated with Gleason score, PSA and mpMRI PI-RADS category.