{"id":{"repo_id":"wustl","oai_identifier":"oai:openscholarship.wustl.edu:etd-1161"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/wustl/oai:openscholarship.wustl.edu:etd-1161","repository":{"repo_id":"wustl","name":"Washington University in St. Louis","base_url":"https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Optical-Resolution Photoacoustic Microscopy","abstract":"Optical microscopy, providing valuable biomedical insights at the cellular and organelle levels, has been widely recognized as an enabling technology. Mainstream optical microscopy technologies, including single-/multi-photon fluorescence microscopy and OCT, have demonstrated extraordinary sensitivities to fluorescence and optical scattering contrasts, respectively. However, the optical absorption contrast of biological tissues, which encodes essential physiological/pathological information, has not yet been fully assessable. The emergence of biomedical photoacoustics has led to a new branch of optical microscopy--OR-PAM. As a valuable complement to existing optical microscopy technologies, OR-PAM detects optical absorption contrasts with exquisite sensitivity: i.e., 100%). Combining OR-PAM with fluorescence microscopy or optical-scattering-based OCT: or both) provides comprehensive optical properties of biological tissues. Moreover, OR-PAM encodes optical absorption into acoustic waves, in contrast to the pure optical processes in fluorescence microscopy and OCT, and thus provides background-free detection. The acoustic detection in OR-PAM mitigates the impacts of optical scattering on signal degradation and naturally eliminates possible interferences: i.e., crosstalks) between excitation and detection, which is a common problem in fluorescence microscopy due to the overlap between the excitation and fluorescence spectra and imperfect extinction of the filter. Unique for high-resolution imaging of optical absorption, OR-PAM has demonstrated broad biomedical applications in fields such as neurology, ophthalmology, vascular biology, and dermatology. My doctoral research focuses on developments and biomedical applications of OR-PAM. The first part of my dissertation discusses the development of three generations of OR-PAM towards high-resolution, high-sensitivity, high-speed, and wide FOV in vivo imaging. In this section, I provide a comprehensive description of OR-PAM, including the principle, system design, system configuration, experimental procedures, laser safety, functional imaging scheme, and example biomedical applications at a variety of in vivo anatomical sites: i.e., skins, eyes and brains). The second part of my dissertation focuses on the application of OR-PAM in vascular biology, with an emphasis on neovascularization. In this section, I demonstrate longitudinal OR-PAM monitoring of the morphological: i.e., vessel diameter, length, tortuosity and volume) and functional: i.e., sO2) changes of angiogenic microenvironment at the capillary level, in both a non-disease TetON-HIF-1 transgenic mouse model and a cancer xenograft model in mouse ear. The last part of my dissertation focuses on the application of OR-PAM in neurology, with an emphasis on cortical stimulation, Alzheimer's disease, and ischemic stroke. In this section, I use label-free OR-PAM for both acute monitoring of microvascular responses to direct electrical stimulations of the mouse somatosensory cortex through a cranial opening and longitudinal monitoring of the morphological and functional changes of cortical vasculature in a transient middle cerebral artery occlusion mouse model. I also explore the potential of OR-PAM for transcranial monitoring of amyloid plaque growth in an AD mouse model.","abstract_html":"Optical microscopy, providing valuable biomedical insights at the cellular and organelle levels, has been widely recognized as an enabling technology. Mainstream optical microscopy technologies, including single-/multi-photon fluorescence microscopy and OCT, have demonstrated extraordinary sensitivities to fluorescence and optical scattering contrasts, respectively. However, the optical absorption contrast of biological tissues, which encodes essential physiological/pathological information, has not yet been fully assessable. The emergence of biomedical photoacoustics has led to a new branch of optical microscopy--OR-PAM. As a valuable complement to existing optical microscopy technologies, OR-PAM detects optical absorption contrasts with exquisite sensitivity: i.e., 100%). Combining OR-PAM with fluorescence microscopy or optical-scattering-based OCT: or both) provides comprehensive optical properties of biological tissues. Moreover, OR-PAM encodes optical absorption into acoustic waves, in contrast to the pure optical processes in fluorescence microscopy and OCT, and thus provides background-free detection. The acoustic detection in OR-PAM mitigates the impacts of optical scattering on signal degradation and naturally eliminates possible interferences: i.e., crosstalks) between excitation and detection, which is a common problem in fluorescence microscopy due to the overlap between the excitation and fluorescence spectra and imperfect extinction of the filter. Unique for high-resolution imaging of optical absorption, OR-PAM has demonstrated broad biomedical applications in fields such as neurology, ophthalmology, vascular biology, and dermatology. My doctoral research focuses on developments and biomedical applications of OR-PAM. The first part of my dissertation discusses the development of three generations of OR-PAM towards high-resolution, high-sensitivity, high-speed, and wide FOV in vivo imaging. In this section, I provide a comprehensive description of OR-PAM, including the principle, system design, system configuration, experimental procedures, laser safety, functional imaging scheme, and example biomedical applications at a variety of in vivo anatomical sites: i.e., skins, eyes and brains). The second part of my dissertation focuses on the application of OR-PAM in vascular biology, with an emphasis on neovascularization. In this section, I demonstrate longitudinal OR-PAM monitoring of the morphological: i.e., vessel diameter, length, tortuosity and volume) and functional: i.e., sO2) changes of angiogenic microenvironment at the capillary level, in both a non-disease TetON-HIF-1 transgenic mouse model and a cancer xenograft model in mouse ear. The last part of my dissertation focuses on the application of OR-PAM in neurology, with an emphasis on cortical stimulation, Alzheimer's disease, and ischemic stroke. In this section, I use label-free OR-PAM for both acute monitoring of microvascular responses to direct electrical stimulations of the mouse somatosensory cortex through a cranial opening and longitudinal monitoring of the morphological and functional changes of cortical vasculature in a transient middle cerebral artery occlusion mouse model. I also explore the potential of OR-PAM for transcranial monitoring of amyloid plaque growth in an AD mouse model.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Hu, Song"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Biomedical Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Lihong Wang"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2010,"date_issued":"2010-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2010-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:13:55Z","subjects":["Biomedical Engineering","Biomedical optics","Neurology","Photoacoustic imaging","Vascular biology"],"languages":["English (en)"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.doi","label":"DOI","values":["https://doi.org/10.7936/K7RF5S1D"],"render_values":[{"text":"https://doi.org/10.7936/K7RF5S1D","href":"https://doi.org/10.7936/K7RF5S1D","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/etd/162","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Lihong Wang"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Hu, Song"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2010-01-01T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biomedical Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Biomedical Engineering","Biomedical optics","Neurology","Photoacoustic imaging","Vascular biology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English (en)"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/etd/162"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.doi","label":"DOI","values":["https://doi.org/10.7936/K7RF5S1D"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Optical microscopy, providing valuable biomedical insights at the cellular and organelle levels, has been widely recognized as an enabling technology. Mainstream optical microscopy technologies, including single-/multi-photon fluorescence microscopy and OCT, have demonstrated extraordinary sensitivities to fluorescence and optical scattering contrasts, respectively. However, the optical absorption contrast of biological tissues, which encodes essential physiological/pathological information, has not yet been fully assessable. The emergence of biomedical photoacoustics has led to a new branch of optical microscopy--OR-PAM. As a valuable complement to existing optical microscopy technologies, OR-PAM detects optical absorption contrasts with exquisite sensitivity: i.e., 100%). Combining OR-PAM with fluorescence microscopy or optical-scattering-based OCT: or both) provides comprehensive optical properties of biological tissues. Moreover, OR-PAM encodes optical absorption into acoustic waves, in contrast to the pure optical processes in fluorescence microscopy and OCT, and thus provides background-free detection. The acoustic detection in OR-PAM mitigates the impacts of optical scattering on signal degradation and naturally eliminates possible interferences: i.e., crosstalks) between excitation and detection, which is a common problem in fluorescence microscopy due to the overlap between the excitation and fluorescence spectra and imperfect extinction of the filter. Unique for high-resolution imaging of optical absorption, OR-PAM has demonstrated broad biomedical applications in fields such as neurology, ophthalmology, vascular biology, and dermatology. My doctoral research focuses on developments and biomedical applications of OR-PAM. The first part of my dissertation discusses the development of three generations of OR-PAM towards high-resolution, high-sensitivity, high-speed, and wide FOV in vivo imaging. In this section, I provide a comprehensive description of OR-PAM, including the principle, system design, system configuration, experimental procedures, laser safety, functional imaging scheme, and example biomedical applications at a variety of in vivo anatomical sites: i.e., skins, eyes and brains). The second part of my dissertation focuses on the application of OR-PAM in vascular biology, with an emphasis on neovascularization. In this section, I demonstrate longitudinal OR-PAM monitoring of the morphological: i.e., vessel diameter, length, tortuosity and volume) and functional: i.e., sO2) changes of angiogenic microenvironment at the capillary level, in both a non-disease TetON-HIF-1 transgenic mouse model and a cancer xenograft model in mouse ear. The last part of my dissertation focuses on the application of OR-PAM in neurology, with an emphasis on cortical stimulation, Alzheimer's disease, and ischemic stroke. In this section, I use label-free OR-PAM for both acute monitoring of microvascular responses to direct electrical stimulations of the mouse somatosensory cortex through a cranial opening and longitudinal monitoring of the morphological and functional changes of cortical vasculature in a transient middle cerebral artery occlusion mouse model. I also explore the potential of OR-PAM for transcranial monitoring of amyloid plaque growth in an AD mouse model."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Optical-Resolution Photoacoustic Microscopy"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Lihong Wang"],"dc:creator":["Hu, Song"],"dc:date.available":["2010-01-01T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Optical microscopy, providing valuable biomedical insights at the cellular and organelle levels, has been widely recognized as an enabling technology. Mainstream optical microscopy technologies, including single-/multi-photon fluorescence microscopy and OCT, have demonstrated extraordinary sensitivities to fluorescence and optical scattering contrasts, respectively. However, the optical absorption contrast of biological tissues, which encodes essential physiological/pathological information, has not yet been fully assessable. The emergence of biomedical photoacoustics has led to a new branch of optical microscopy--OR-PAM. As a valuable complement to existing optical microscopy technologies, OR-PAM detects optical absorption contrasts with exquisite sensitivity: i.e., 100%). Combining OR-PAM with fluorescence microscopy or optical-scattering-based OCT: or both) provides comprehensive optical properties of biological tissues. Moreover, OR-PAM encodes optical absorption into acoustic waves, in contrast to the pure optical processes in fluorescence microscopy and OCT, and thus provides background-free detection. The acoustic detection in OR-PAM mitigates the impacts of optical scattering on signal degradation and naturally eliminates possible interferences: i.e., crosstalks) between excitation and detection, which is a common problem in fluorescence microscopy due to the overlap between the excitation and fluorescence spectra and imperfect extinction of the filter. Unique for high-resolution imaging of optical absorption, OR-PAM has demonstrated broad biomedical applications in fields such as neurology, ophthalmology, vascular biology, and dermatology. My doctoral research focuses on developments and biomedical applications of OR-PAM. The first part of my dissertation discusses the development of three generations of OR-PAM towards high-resolution, high-sensitivity, high-speed, and wide FOV in vivo imaging. In this section, I provide a comprehensive description of OR-PAM, including the principle, system design, system configuration, experimental procedures, laser safety, functional imaging scheme, and example biomedical applications at a variety of in vivo anatomical sites: i.e., skins, eyes and brains). The second part of my dissertation focuses on the application of OR-PAM in vascular biology, with an emphasis on neovascularization. In this section, I demonstrate longitudinal OR-PAM monitoring of the morphological: i.e., vessel diameter, length, tortuosity and volume) and functional: i.e., sO2) changes of angiogenic microenvironment at the capillary level, in both a non-disease TetON-HIF-1 transgenic mouse model and a cancer xenograft model in mouse ear. The last part of my dissertation focuses on the application of OR-PAM in neurology, with an emphasis on cortical stimulation, Alzheimer's disease, and ischemic stroke. In this section, I use label-free OR-PAM for both acute monitoring of microvascular responses to direct electrical stimulations of the mouse somatosensory cortex through a cranial opening and longitudinal monitoring of the morphological and functional changes of cortical vasculature in a transient middle cerebral artery occlusion mouse model. I also explore the potential of OR-PAM for transcranial monitoring of amyloid plaque growth in an AD mouse model."],"dc:identifier":["https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/etd/162"],"dc:identifier.doi":["https://doi.org/10.7936/K7RF5S1D"],"dc:language":["English (en)"],"dc:subject":["Biomedical Engineering","Biomedical optics","Neurology","Photoacoustic imaging","Vascular biology"],"dc:title":["Optical-Resolution Photoacoustic Microscopy"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biomedical Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:13:55Z"}