Photoacoustic Voltage-Sensitive-Dye Nerve Imaging

Ph.D. research · Johns Hopkins University

In nerve graft repair, surgeons cannot see whether a nerve segment is functionally viable during the operation. I developed a dual-modal photoacoustic/fluorescence imaging approach using voltage-sensitive dyes (VSDs), whose near-infrared signal arises from transmembrane redistribution upon neuronal depolarization. In an ex vivo proof-of-concept study, functional photoacoustic imaging showed high VSD signal sensitivity and added depth profiling through thick nerve tissue (<2 mm diameter) that fluorescence alone cannot provide — a step toward intraoperative functional guidance for nerve surgery.

Key publications

• Functional guidance of nerve graft surgery using dual-modal photoacoustic and fluorescence imaging of voltage-sensitive dye — SPIE Photonics West 2022