Intraoperative Label-Free Photoacoustic Histopathology of Clinical Specimens

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.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates a novel label-free high-speed reflection-mode ultraviolet photoacoustic microscopy (UV-PAM) system for intraoperative histopathology, showcasing its potential as an alternative method with minimal tissue preparation processes. The system shows promise for quick and accurate tumor margin identification in cancer resection surgeries.