Advanced intraoperative surgical photoacoustic microscopy

We developed an advanced intraoperative surgical photoacoustic microscopy (AISPAM) system by fusing a laser-scanning based optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy (LS-OR-PAM) with 1064 nm pulsed laser, augmented reality device, and commercial surgical microscope. By sharing the same optical path of sample part in the LS-OR-PAM and microscope system, a cross-sectional PAM and microscope images were acquired at the same time. In addition, using a small-sized commercial beam projector and simple optical device, we have projected cross-sectional PAM images on microscope view plane as augmented reality. It does not require additional display tool for the PAM image monitoring. Therefore, surgeons can monitor both 2D PAM and microscopic images via an ocular lens of the microscope without movement of their sights during surgeries. To demonstrate the feasibility of the AISPAM system, needle intervention in melanoma tumor was successfully monitored in vivo.