Elsevier

Photoacoustics

Volume 18, June 2020, 100187
Photoacoustics

Research article
Photoacoustic imaging for three-dimensional visualization and delineation of basal cell carcinoma in patients

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pacs.2020.100187Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open access

Abstract

Background

Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is an emerging non-invasive biomedical imaging modality that could potentially be used to determine the borders of basal cell carcinomas (BCC) preoperatively in order to reduce the need for repeated surgery.

Methods

Two- and three-dimensional PA images were obtained by scanning BCCs using 59 wavelengths in the range 680–970 nm. Spectral unmixing was performed to visualize the tumor tissue distribution. Spectral signatures from 38 BCCs and healthy tissue were compared ex vivo.

Results and discussion

The PA spectra could be used to differentiate between BCC and healthy tissue ex vivo (p < 0.05). Spectral unmixing provided visualization of the overall architecture of the lesion and its border.

Conclusion

PA imaging can be used to differentiate between BCC and healthy tissue and can potentially be used to delineate tumors prior to surgical excision.

Keywords

Photoacoustic imaging
Basal cell carcinoma
Basalioma
Patients
Human
Tissue differentiation
Spectral unmixing

Cited by (0)

Ulf Dahlstrand received his medical degree in 2009 and his PhD in 2020 at Lund University, Lund, Sweden. His main area of interest is the need for better noninvasive techniques for tumor margin delineation, both in the periorbital area as well as on the rest of the skin. He is an ophthalmologist at the Department of Ophthalmology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden, specializing in oculoplastic and strabismus surgery.

Rafi Sheikh was born in Visby, Sweden in 1980. He received his MD degree in 2009 and his PhD in 2018 at Lund University, Lund, Sweden. His main areas of research interest are currently oculoplastic surgery, microvascular blood flow, neuro-ophthalmology and photoacoustic imaging. He works clinically as an ophthalmologist, specialized in cataract and vitreoretinal surgery, at Skåne University Hospital.

Aboma Merdasa was born in Örebro, Sweden in 1982. He received his M.Sc. in engineering physics (Lund University, 2010) focusing on optical detection of malaria infected blood cells without the need for chemical staining. He received his PhD degree in chemical physics (Lund University, 2017) with his thesis topic on super-resolution optical microscopy of functional materials. After a two year post-doc at the Helmholtz Center Berlin working on spectroscopic characterization of energy materials, he is currently pursuing his research interest in biomedical physics employing a diverse range of spectroscopy and imaging characterization methods at Lund University and Skåne University Hospital.

Rehan Chakari is currently a medical student at the University of Lund. His research focus is the use of photoacoustic imaging for the detection and delineation of various skin tumors.

Bertil Persson was born in Helsingborg, Sweden in 1958. He received his M.D. degree from Lund University in 1983 and became specialist in dermato-venereology in 1992. He was head of the Department of Dermato-venereology, Skåne University hospital, Lund Sweden, between 2003 and 2013. He is currently senior consultant at the department and head of the units of skin tumor diagnostics, Mohs- and dermatosurgery. His research interests include tumor imaging and treatment, and photoacoustic imaging.

Magnus Cinthio received his M.Sc. degree in biomedical engineering and his PhD degree in electrical measurements from Lund University, Lund, Sweden, in 1999 and 2004, respectively. In 2010, he joined the Faculty of Engineering, Lund University, as an Associate Professor. He was a visiting researcher at Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan, in 2007, and at Florence University, Florence, Italy, in 2012. In 2013, he joined the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, as a University Lecturer. His research interests include the longitudinal movement and the resulting intramural shearing of the arterial wall, ultrasonic tissue motion measurements, photoacoustic imaging, as well as arterial, cerebral, and intestinal characterization.

Tobias Erlöv received his M.Sc. degree in engineering physics and his PhD degree in biomedical engineering from Lund University, Lund, Sweden, in 2009 and 2015, respectively. His PhD thesis was on the characterization of the arterial wall and carotid plaques. He is currently a post-doctoral researcher in photoacoustic imaging at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University. His research interests include ultrasound signal processing, tissue characterization, motion tracking, and photoacoustic imaging.

Bodil Gesslein is a vascular scientist with a special interest in ophthalmology and neuroscience. She received the M.Sc. degree in Biomedicine from Lund University, Lund, Sweden, in 2006. In 2010 she received the PhD degree in Experimental Vascular Research with a focus on retinal ischemia from Department of Ophthalmology at Lund University. Between 2011 and 2017 she pursued a post doc at Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology at University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark where she was involved in studying capillary blood flow regulation in the brain. Since 2018 she has returned to Department of Ophthalmology at Lund University working as a senior researcher. Her current research interest includes photoacoustic imaging and non-invasive imaging techniques for monitoring blood perfusion and vascular anatomy.

Malin Malmsjö is an internationally recognized expert in oculoplastic surgery, an expertise that she has honored in her role as Professor and Senior Consultant in ophthalmology, focusing on cancer surgery at Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden. She is currently the Head of the Department of Ophthalmology. She has written over 140 scientific publications and book chapters and is also the inventor and patent holder of award-winning medical devices for heart and vascular surgery. Her research in ophthalmology focuses on the development of novel noninvasive imaging techniques for tumor margin delineation and optimizing periorbital cancer surgery by monitoring blood perfusion.