Functional photoacoustic tomography for neonatal brain imaging: Developments and challenges

Ali Hariri, Emytis Tavakoli, Saba Adabi, Juri Gelovani, Mohammad R.N. Avanaki

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

Transfontanelle ultrasound imaging (TFUSI) is a routine diagnostic brain imaging method in infants who are born prematurely, whose skull bones have not completely fused together and have openings between them, so-called fontanelles. Open fontanelles in neonates provide acoustic windows, allowing the ultrasound beam to freely pass through. TFUSI is used to rule out neurological complications of premature birth including subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), intraventricular (IVH), subependimal (SEPH), subdural (SDH) or intracerebral (ICH) hemorrhages, as well as hypoxic brain injuries. TFUSI is widely used in the clinic owing to its low cost, safety, accessibility, and noninvasive nature. Nevertheless, the accuracy of TFUSI is limited. To address several limitations of current clinical imaging modalities, we develop a novel transfontanelle photoacoustic imaging (TFPAI) probe, which, for the first time, should allow for non-invasive structural and functional imaging of the infant brain. In this study, we test the feasibility of TFPAI for detection of experimentally-induced intra ventricular and Intraparenchymal hemorrhage phantoms in a sheep model with a surgically-induced cranial window which will serve as a model of neonatal fontanelle. This study is towards using the probe we develop for bedside monitoring of neonates with various disease conditions and complications affecting brain perfusion and oxygenation, including apnea, asphyxia, as well as for detection of various types of intracranial hemorrhages (SAH, IVH, SEPH, SDH, ICH).

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationPhotons Plus Ultrasound
Subtitle of host publicationImaging and Sensing 2017
EditorsAlexander A. Oraevsky, Lihong V. Wang
PublisherSPIE
ISBN (Electronic)9781510605695
DOIs
StatePublished - 2017
Externally publishedYes
EventPhotons Plus Ultrasound: Imaging and Sensing 2017 - San Francisco, United States
Duration: 29 Jan 20171 Feb 2017

Publication series

NameProgress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging - Proceedings of SPIE
Volume10064
ISSN (Print)1605-7422

Conference

ConferencePhotons Plus Ultrasound: Imaging and Sensing 2017
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySan Francisco
Period29/01/171/02/17

Keywords

  • Intracranial hemorrhages
  • Neonatal brain
  • Photoacoustic imaging
  • Transfontanelle ultrasound imaging

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