Intraoperative Label‐Free Photoacoustic Histopathology of Clinical Specimens
Jin Woo Baik, Hyo-Jin Kim, Myeongjoo Son, Junwon Choi, Kwang Gi Kim, Jeong‐Heum Baek, Yeon Ho Park, Jungsuk An, Hae Young Choi, Seon Young Ryu, Jin Young Kim, Kyunghee Byun, Chulhong Kim
Abstract
Abstract During cancer resection surgeries, intraoperative histopathologic examination of the surgical specimen is crucial for tumor margin identification. A conventional frozen‐section analysis requires complex tissue processing, which prolongs surgery and potentially introduces interpretation errors. Here, as a novel approach to label‐free intraoperative histopathology, a high‐speed reflection‐mode ultraviolet photoacoustic microscopy (UV‐PAM) system employing a waterproof 1‐axis microelectromechanical systems scanner is demonstrated. Label‐free nuclear imaging is photoacoustically verified using tissue sections excised from mice and humans. Moreover, by imaging clinical specimens from cancer patients and numerically quantifying the histopathologic results, it is successfully demonstrated that the proposed UV‐PAM system has great potential as an alternative intraoperative histopathology method with minimal tissue preparation processes.