Real-time photoacoustic microscopy for rapid diagnosis of pathology

Abstract

A photoacoustic microscopy system and method for rapid intraoperative pathology imaging comprises a pulsed ultraviolet laser source, a polygon scanner for high-speed beam deflection, a telephoto lens assembly, an objective lens, and a motorized stage with multi-axis motion capability. A controller performs a rapid pre-scan to extract surface topology data and generate a contour map, then executes a high-resolution imaging scan while dynamically adjusting the tissue sample position based on the contour map to maintain focus across uneven surfaces. An ultrasound transducer detects photoacoustic signals in transmission or reflection modes. A conditional diffusion model is used to generate virtual histologically-stained images and a semantic segmentation network for automated tumor margin detection, enabling real-time pathological assessment during surgical procedures without chemical staining or tissue processing.