Three-dimensional optoacoustic monitoring of lesion formation in real time during radiofrequency catheter ablation.

Introduction: Due to lack of reliable imaging contrast from catheter radiofrequency ablation (RFA) lesions, the vast majority of current procedures rely on indirect indicators of ablation activity, resulting in a significant number of arrhythmia reoccurrences after RFA procedures and the need for repeat surgeries. The objective of this work is to develop an accurate method for on-the-fly assessment of the durability and size of lesions formed during RFA procedures.

Method And Results: Radiofrequency catheter ablation on freshly excised porcine ventricular myocardial tissue was optoacoustically monitored by means of pulsed-laser illumination in the near-infrared spectrum.

Functional optoacoustic imaging of moving objects using microsecond-delay acquisition of multispectral three-dimensional tomographic data.

The breakthrough capacity of optoacoustics for three-dimensional visualization of dynamic events in real time has been recently showcased. Yet, efficient spectral unmixing for functional imaging of entire volumetric regions is significantly challenged by motion artifacts in concurrent acquisitions at multiple wavelengths. Here, we introduce a method for simultaneous acquisition of multispectral volumetric datasets by introducing a microsecond-level delay between excitation laser pulses at different wavelengths.

Real-time monitoring of incision profile during laser surgery using shock wave detection.

Lack of sensory feedback during laser surgery prevents surgeons from discerning the exact location of the incision, which increases duration and complexity of the treatment. In this study we demonstrate a new method for monitoring of laser ablation procedures. Real-time tracking of the exact three dimensional (3D) lesion profile is accomplished by detection of shock waves emanating from the ablation spot and subsequent reconstruction of the incision location using time-of-flight data obtained from multiple acoustic detectors.

Optoacoustic monitoring of cutting efficiency and thermal damage during laser ablation.

Successful laser surgery is characterized by a precise cut and effective hemostasis with minimal collateral thermal damage to the adjacent tissues. Consequently, the surgeon needs to control several parameters, such as power, pulse repetition rate, and velocity of movements. In this study we propose utilizing optoacoustics for providing the necessary real-time feedback of cutting efficiency and collateral thermal damage.