Shedding light on pediatric diseases: multispectral optoacoustic tomography at the doorway to clinical applications
Adrian P. Regensburger, Alexandra L. Wagner, Jing Claussen, Maximilian J. Waldner, Ferdinand Knieling
Abstract
Optoacoustic imaging (OAI), or photoacoustic imaging (PAI), has fundamentally influenced basic science by providing high-resolution visualization of biological mechanisms. With the introduction of multispectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT), these technologies have now moved closer to clinical applications. MSOT utilizes short-pulsed near-infrared laser light to induce thermoelastic expansion in targeted tissues. This results in acoustic pressure waves, which are used to resolve specific endo- and exogenous chromophores. Especially in the pediatric population, this non-invasive imaging approach might hold fundamental advantages compared to conventional cross-sectional imaging modalities. As this technology allows the visualization of quantitative molecular tissue composition at high spatial resolution non-invasively in sufficient penetration depth, it paves the way to personalized medicine in pediatric diseases.