Photoacoustic imaging a PDT response marker for monitoring vasculature changes

Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) is an evolving modality for studying and imaging tumor hypoxia. The experimental results from animals treated with ALA for Pre-PDT, Post-PDT, 4hr PDT, 24 hr PDT show a short-term increase in the BV followed by a strong decrease; however, no complete stasis. An alternate method is created by looking at the spatial and frequency domain histogram to observe the tumor vasculature. The images are represented in frequency domains by application of two-dimensional Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) on spatial domain images. The variations in acoustic impedance after Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) are studied. The photoacoustic signals implemented on tumor models indicated PDT influenced variations in the hemoglobin levels against different time periods and studied their outcome on the tumor necrosis.