Development of photoacoustic imaging system for improved real-time visualization of neurovascular bundle during radical prostatectomy

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24592418
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Urology
• Research Institution: National Defense Medical College
• Principal Investigator: HORIGUCHI Akio 防衛医科大学校(医学教育部医学科進学課程及び専門課程、動物実験施設、共同利用研究, 病院, 講師 (20286553)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): ISHIHARA Miya 防衛医科大学校, 医用工学講座, 教授 (30505342) ; ASANO Tomohiko 防衛医科大学校, 泌尿器科学講座, 教授 (40167226) ; HIRASAWA Takeshi 防衛医科大学校, 医用工学講座, 助教 (60583086)
• Research Collaborator: TSUJITA Kazuhiro
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 前立腺癌 / 神経温存 / 光音響画像 / 画像診断

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) enables one to visualize the distribution of hemoglobin and acquire a map of microvessels without using contrast agents. We developed an imaging system equipped with a conventional linear PAI probe and a transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) type of PAI probe and examined whether PAI helps visualize periprostatic microvessels and improves visualization of the neurovascular bundle (NVB) during radical prostatectomy (RP). The images of periprostatic tissues from RP specimens showed substantial signals especially strong on the posterolateral surface of the prostate. Periprostatic tissues monitored intraoperatively also showed strong signals on the posterolateral surface of the prostate and clearly demonstrated the location and extent of the NVB better than does TRUS alone, suggesting that PAI could be an imaging modality useful in nerve-sparing RP.

Free Research Field

腫瘍学