Optical/Acoustic Radiation Imaging in tissue-mimicking bladder wall phantoms

This article explores the feasibility of utilizing Optical/Acoustic Radiation Imaging (OARI) to gain information about the mechanical and optical properties of the urinary bladder for monitoring and detecting changes due to the onset or progression of cancer. OARI was demonstrated on tissue-mimicking bladder wall phantoms. Imaging was performed using Optical Coherence Tomography. Tissue displacements were induced in phantoms via acoustic radiation force using a 5 MHz focused transducer. Phantom images before and after displacement were used to create displacement maps. With an acoustic intensity ranging from 0 – 112.12 W/cm², we observed displacements of 6 – 120 µm for the 11.54 kPa phantom, 0 – 84 µm for the 17.12 kPa phantom, and 0 – 24 µm for the 21.19 kPa phantom. Increases in acoustic intensity resulted in higher displacements in phantoms, with stiffer phantoms exhibiting less displacement. OARI could become a valuable tool in early bladder cancer detection.