In vivo visualization of prostate brachytherapy seeds with photoacoustic imaging.

摘要: We conducted a canine study to investigate the in vivo feasibility of photoacoustic imaging for intraoperative updates brachytherapy treatment plans. A fiber coupled 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser was inserted into high-dose-rate needles, which diffused light spherically. These needles were through perineum prostate interstitial delivery and resulting acoustic waves detected with transrectal ultrasound probe. Postoperative computed tomography images ex confirmed seed locations. Limitations insufficient mitigated short-lag spatial coherence (SLSC) beamforming, providing 10-20 dB contrast improvement over delay-and-sum (DAS) beamforming pulse energies ranging from 6.8 10.5 mJ fiber-seed distance as large 9.5 mm. For same range energy densities, signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) similar while contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) higher SLSC compared DAS images. Challenges included visualization signals associated tip reverberations between seeds separated by ≤ 2 Results provide insights potential clinical translation humans.