偏振态显微成像技术用于细胞热损伤检测的研究

本文采用偏振态显微成像系统对生物细胞热损伤进行监测。选取洋葱细胞、绿萝细胞作为实验样品,对洋葱细胞、绿萝细胞进行热损伤,通过比较细胞在热损伤前后的偏振态图像及其相应的偏振特性的变化,分析热损伤细胞的偏振特性变化而获得相关信息。实验结果表明,偏振态显微成像技术对于鉴别正常细胞和热损伤的细胞并评价细胞的损伤程度非常有效,比显微光强成像更清晰地反映了细胞形态结构发生的变化,在生物样品的特性研究及疾病诊断方面都有独特的优势,为鉴别与评价细胞损伤程度提供一种快速的、无损的、有效的新方法。     

生物组织光声粘弹显微成像

提出一种反演生物组织粘弹信息的新型无损光声粘弹显微成像方法,它是以强度调制激光作为激发源,通过检测光声（Photoacoustic,PA）信号的相位重建组织粘弹特性分布的成像方法.实验利用不同浓度的琼脂样品来验证光声粘弹显微测量中相位随浓度变化的依赖关系.利用埋有头发丝的琼脂样品来测试这种显微方法的成像分辨率.利用具有不同粘弹性的离体生物组织来验证系统的成像能力.实验结果表明,这种新方法能够高分辨率和高对比度地重建出具有不同粘弹性的生物组织的光声粘弹显微图像,有望实现组织结晶类病变水平的显微在体检测.     

基于旋转偏振角的线偏振扫描成像方法研究

提出一种基于旋转偏振角的新的偏振光成像方法:改变入射线偏振光偏振角和检偏角,采集样品图像系列,总结出背向散射光2个正交偏振分量的光强差关于入射线偏振光偏振角和检偏角的函数关系式.通过对模拟散射介质,猪肉脂肪,猪肉骨骼肌和牛肉骨骼肌等样品进行实验,论证了偏振差函数式中各个参数与样品光学特性之间的联系,并从中提取出2个相互独立的参数,分别表征样品的纤维方向角和光学各向异性度,从而实现对样品浅表层光学特性进行定量测量.和普通光强图像相比,用这些独立的光学信息生成不同基色的图像,能更直观明了地区分组织结构差异,具有潜在的临床医学应用价值,如成为一种皮肤疾病、皮肤损伤的检测方法.     

利用散射光声微分成像技术实现弱吸收物质显微成像

光声显微成像技术依赖于样品的内源性光吸收,对强散射弱吸收样品成像效果差,甚至无法进行成像。为了实现强散射弱吸收高透明生物样品的光声显微成像,以及获得图像的边缘增强效果,使光声显微成像技术在实际的生物医学研究中更有应用价值,本文首次将散射光声技术引入到光声微分显微技术中,研制了新型的散射光声微分成像技术。该技术不仅可以获得强散射弱吸收高透明生物样品的散射光声显微图像,还可以获得对应的边缘清晰的散射光声微分图像,对在生物医学研究领域有重要的应用意义。     

双光子激发荧光各向异性度的成像

荧光各向异性度 (fluorescence anisotropy) 测量可以获得荧光分子的转动速度信息,进而了解分子质量、结构、以及与周边环境的相互作用情况 . 围绕一台双光子激发扫描荧光成像系统,通过改变外光路和图像记录与处理程序,从而实现了双光子激发荧光各向异性度成像,并针对一些典型样品和体系,展示了该方法的应用 . 实验中观察了 FITC 荧光分子、 FITC 结合的 CD44 抗体分子及与肿瘤细胞表面受体结合的 FITC-CD44 抗体分子 . 测量结果表明,不同分子质量、不同微观环境状态下的荧光分子,其各向异性度大小不同,在各向异性度图中能够被明显区分 . 荧光各向异性度成像能够定量测量样品微区的各向异性度值,并以二维图像的形式直观表达,是各向异性度测量与成像技术的良好结合 .     

内窥式共焦显微术

内窥式共焦显微术是将共焦显微术和光纤技术结合起来的新技术,既具有共焦显微术的独特优点:高分辨率和三维成像;又能对体内器官组织进行在体成像.分析共焦成像的原理,阐述了内窥式共焦成像系统,详细讨论其研究进展以及我们的研究结果,并分析了其优点及在生物医学领域的应用.     

用于皮肤色素病变检测的线性共焦光声显微镜

医学成像在皮肤病学的病理生理相关性的临床诊断和评估中起着不可或缺的作用。然而,现有的成像技术很难获得色素性皮肤病的黑色素空间分布和色素浓度。本文中我们提出了一种线性共焦扫描光声显微镜,用于快速无损地获取色素性皮肤病的病理结构变化和色素异常部位的黑色素分布情况。通过样品试验和动物试验证明了该显微成像系统的可行性及成像能力,并进一步对咖啡斑患者的正常表皮和病变表皮进行高分辨成像,图像结果表明,正常皮肤和咖啡斑皮肤之间黑色素分布及浓度存在着明显的差异。通过使用快速线性共焦扫描模式,可以在1 s内快速获得检测部位的光声断层图像。线性共焦扫描光声显微镜也可以扩展到诊断其他皮肤性疾病,是一种具有前景的皮肤病学成像技术。     

基于光谱编码的血管内光声组分成像

光声成像突破了传统的光学成像和超声成像在生物组织成像领域的困境,该技术基于光声(Photoacoustic,PA)效应,脉冲激光激励下的生物组织产生超声信号,超声信号被接收后,通过反投影算法将其携带的时间信息和强度信息转化为能够反映生物组织吸收结构和分布的可视化图像。基于不同生物组织的光吸收差异,当激发光强度均匀且稳定时,光声成像反映的就是该物质对于该波长光的吸收特性。本文中,我们基于导管式的血管内光声断层扫描平台结合多波长激发的光声成像算法开发了基于光谱编码的血管内光声组分成像系统,实现了在离体血管斑块中脂质组分的定量成像,高分辨获得了脂质核心的大小形态和边界信息,表征了斑块内的脂质相对含量。     

皮肤组织显微共聚焦拉曼光谱成像研究

显微共聚焦拉曼光谱成像技术(Confocal Raman Microspectroscopy Imaging,CRMI)能够对样品微区进行精确无损的拉曼光谱分析和光谱图像扫描,提供生物样品的无损高分辨光学信息。本项研究工作,利用CRMI技术实验获取了正常人体离体皮肤组织的拉曼光谱特征,并结合典型特征峰的扫描图像,探讨了脂类、蛋白质等成分在皮肤真皮层的分布特点。实验发现皮肤组织真皮层内胶原蛋白的拉曼特征峰1 248 cm-1强度及其空间分布尤为突出,这一实验结果与组织学中胶原纤维占真皮结缔组织95%的事实相符。实验结果显示,CRMI技术能够全面诠释生物组织内部生化组成与分布信息,在实验描述皮肤组织病理变化的分子生物学机制方面具有广阔的应用前景。     

生物组织电导率图像的热声重建

本文以微波热声效应为基础,报道了一种重建生物组织电导率相对分布图像的方法。和传统的微波热声像相比,重建得到的组织电导率图像消除了由于微波场能量密度分布不均匀带来的影响,能够准确的反映组织的介电特性差异,实现对肿瘤的早期发现。本文首先从理论上详细推导了获得生物组织电导率分布图像的原理,然后在实验中通过结合已有的脉冲微波成像系统,重建得到了一块肌肉组织的电导率分布图像。实验结果表明利用热声成像技术,组织的电导率分布图像能够被清晰的重建,本研究为推进热声成像技术的实用性打下了理论和实验基础。     

Optical hyperspectral imaging in microscopy and spectroscopy – a review of data acquisition

Rather than simply acting as a photographic camera capturing two‐dimensional (x, y) intensity images or a spectrometer acquiring spectra (λ), a hyperspectral imager measures entire three‐dimensional (x, y, λ) datacubes for multivariate analysis, providing structural, molecular, and functional information about biological cells or tissue with unprecedented detail. Such data also gives clinical insights for disease diagnosis and treatment. We summarize the principles underpinning this technology, highlight its practical implementation, and discuss its recent applications at microscopic to macroscopic scales.

Datacube acquisition strategies in hyperspectral imaging x, y, spatial coordinates; λ, wavelength.     

Novel biomedical applications of Cerenkov radiation and radioluminescence imaging

The main goals of this review is to provide an up-to-date account of the different uses of Cerenkov radiation (CR) and radioluminescence imaging for pre-clinical small animal imaging. We will focus on new emerging applications such as the use of Cerenkov imaging for monitoring radionuclide and external radiotherapy in humans. Another novel application that will be described is the monitoring of radiochemical synthesis using microfluidic chips.Several pre-clinical aspects of CR will be discussed such as the development of 3D reconstruction methods for Cerenkov images and the use of CR as excitation source for nanoparticles or for endoscopic imaging.We will also include a discussion on radioluminescence imaging that is a more general method than Cerenkov imaging for the detection using optical methods of alpha and gamma emitters.     

Molecular probes for fluorescent sensing of metal ions in non-mammalian organisms

While metal ions play an important role in the proper functioning of all life, many questions remain unanswered about exactly how different metals contribute to health and disease. The development of fluorescent probes, which respond to metals, has allowed greater understanding of the cellular location, concentration and speciation of metals in living systems, giving a new appreciation of their function. While the focus of studies using these fluorescent tools has largely been on mammalian organisms, there has been relatively little application of these powerful tools to other organisms. In this review, we highlight recent examples of molecular fluorophores, which have been applied to sensing metals in non-mammalian organisms.     

Nanoscale spectroscopy and imaging of hemoglobin

Sub diffraction limited infrared absorption imaging of hemoglobin was performed by coupling IR optics with an atomic force microscope. Comparisons between the AFM topography and IR absorption images of micron sized hemoglobin features are presented, along with nanoscale IR spectroscopic analysis of the metalloprotein. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Effects of multispectral excitation on the sensitivity of molecular optoacoustic imaging

Molecular optoacoustic (photoacoustic) imaging typically relies on the spectral identification of absorption signatures from molecules of interest. To achieve this, two or more excitation wavelengths are employed to sequentially illuminate tissue. Due to depth‐related spectral dependencies and detection related effects, the multispectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT) spectral unmixing problem presents a complex non‐linear inversion operation. So far, different studies have showcased the spectral capacity of optoacoustic imaging, without however relating the performance achieved to the number of wavelengths employed. Overall, the dependence of the sensitivity and accuracy of optoacoustic imaging as a function of the number of illumination wavelengths has not been so far comprehensively studied. In this paper we study the impact of the number of excitation wavelengths employed on the sensitivity and accuracy achieved by molecular optoacoustic tomography. We present a quantitative analysis, based on synthetic MSOT datasets and observe a trend of sensitivity increase for up to 20 wavelengths. Importantly we quantify this relation and demonstrate an up to an order of magnitude sensitivity increase of multi‐wavelength illumination vs. single or dual wavelength optoacoustic imaging. Examples from experimental animal studies are finally utilized to support the findings.

In vivo MSOT imaging of a mouse brain bearing a tumor that is expressing a near‐infrared fluorescent protein. ( a ) Monochromatic optoacoustic imaging at the peak excitation wavelength of the fluorescent protein. ( b ) Overlay of the detected bio‐distribution of the protein (red pseudocolor) on the monochromatic optoacoustic image. ( c ) Ex vivo validation by means of cryoslicing fluorescence imaging.     

Wearable scanning photoacoustic brain imaging in behaving rats

A wearable scanning photoacoustic imaging (wPAI) system is presented for noninvasive brain study in behaving rats. This miniaturized wPAI system consists of four pico linear servos and a single transducer‐based PAI probe. It has a dimension of 50 mm × 35 mm × 40 mm, and a weight of 26 g excluding cablings. Phantom evaluation shows that wPAI achieves a lateral resolution of ～0.5 mm and an axial resolution of ～0.1 mm at a depth of up to 11 mm. Its imaging ability is also tested in a behaving rat, and the results indicate that wPAI is able to image blood vessels at a depth of up to 5 mm with intact scalp and skull. With its noninvasive, deep penetration, and functional imaging ability in behaving animals, wPAI can be used for behavior, cognition, and preclinical brain disease studies.

     

磁共振成像对乳腺肿瘤的诊断价值

乳腺癌是危及女性健康的常见恶性肿瘤之一,病死率较高,且发病年龄呈年轻化趋势。目前临床对乳腺疾病的检查方法很多,既往检查主要包括钼靶、超声等,因价格便宜、操作方便,已成为常规的乳腺疾病检查方法,但两者的敏感性和特异性较低并有自身的局限性。CT软组织分辨率较高,但检查过程中的X线剂量较大,并且动态增强时间较长,故作为乳腺钼靶的补充检查手段。这些检查方法对乳腺疾病均有不同的诊断意义,在当前众多诊断乳腺疾病方法中,具有无辐射,较高软组织分辨力及可多方位多层面成像的乳腺磁共振(MRI)成像有其独到的优势,某些方面能弥补超声和钼靶检查的局限性,乳腺磁共振可提供病灶形态学和增强血流动力学表现,可用于常规检查方法不能确诊病灶的鉴别诊断。乳腺肿瘤MRI成像对临床诊断、鉴别诊断及手术方案的选择有着极其重要的作用。本文就乳腺MRI影像技术、MRI影像学表现及其临床应用予以综述,探讨MRI在乳腺肿瘤中的应用。     

Wide‐field color imaging of scatter‐based tissue contrast using both high spatial frequency illumination and cross‐polarization gating

This study characterizes the scatter‐specific tissue contrast that can be obtained by high spatial frequency (HSF) domain imaging and cross‐polarization (CP) imaging, using a standard color imaging system, and how combining them may be beneficial. Both HSF and CP approaches are known to modulate the sensitivity of epi‐illumination reflectance images between diffuse multiply scattered and superficially backscattered photons, providing enhanced contrast from microstructure and composition than what is achieved by standard wide‐field imaging. Measurements in tissue‐simulating optical phantoms show that CP imaging returns localized assessments of both scattering and absorption effects, while HSF has uniquely specific sensitivity to scatter‐only contrast, with a strong suppression of visible contrast from blood. The combination of CP and HSF imaging provided an expanded sensitivity to scatter compared with CP imaging, while rejecting specular reflections detected by HSF imaging. ex vivo imaging of an atlas of dissected rodent organs/tissues demonstrated the scatter‐based contrast achieved with HSF, CP and HSF‐CP imaging, with the white light spectral signal returned by each approach translated to a color image for intuitive encoding of scatter‐based contrast within images of tissue. The results suggest that visible CP‐HSF imaging could have the potential to aid diagnostic imaging of lesions in skin or mucosal tissues and organs, where just CP is currently the standard practice imaging modality.      

Intraoperative multispectral and hyperspectral label‐free imaging: A systematic review of in vivo clinical studies

Multispectral and hyperspectral imaging (HSI) are emerging optical imaging techniques with the potential to transform the way surgery is performed but it is not clear whether current systems are capable of delivering real‐time tissue characterization and surgical guidance. We conducted a systematic review of surgical in vivo label‐free multispectral and HSI systems that have been assessed intraoperatively in adult patients, published over a 10‐year period to May 2018. We analysed 14 studies including 8 different HSI systems. Current in‐vivo HSI systems generate an intraoperative tissue oxygenation map or enable tumour detection. Intraoperative tissue oxygenation measurements may help to predict those patients at risk of postoperative complications and in‐vivo intraoperative tissue characterization may be performed with high specificity and sensitivity. All systems utilized a line‐scanning or wavelength‐scanning method but the spectral range and number of spectral bands employed varied significantly between studies and according to the system's clinical aim. The time to acquire a hyperspectral cube dataset ranged between 5 and 30 seconds. No safety concerns were reported in any studies. A small number of studies have demonstrated the capabilities of intraoperative in‐vivo label‐free HSI but further work is needed to fully integrate it into the current surgical workflow.      

Optical emission of 223Radium: in vitro and in vivo preclinical applications

²²³Radium (²²³Ra) is widely used in nuclear medicine to treat patients with osseous metastatic prostate cancer. In clinical practice ²²³Ra cannot be imaged directly; however, gamma photons produced by its short‐lived daughter nuclides can be captured by conventional gamma cameras. In this work, we show that ²²³Ra and its short‐lived daughter nuclides can be detected with optical imaging techniques. The light emission of ²²³Ra was investigated in vitro using different setups in order to clarify the mechanism of light production. The results demonstrate that the luminescence of the ²²³Ra chloride solution, usually employed in clinical treatments, is compatible with Cerenkov luminescence having an emission spectrum that is almost indistinguishable from CR one. This study proves that luminescence imaging can be successfully employed to detect ²²³Ra in vivo in mice by imaging whole body ²²³Ra biodistribution and more precisely its uptake in bones.