Application of the optoacoustic effect to measure glucose concentration

Currently, there are only two invasive methods available for measuring blood glucose: the first, the most common method, requires blood to be drawn, which is then transported and analyzed to a clinical laboratory, applying the blood to a glucometer test strip. Sampling blood, especially in children, is a rather complicated process, in addition, the results of clinical trials take time. Therefore, non-invasive, continuous monitoring of glucose by optoacoustic method is quite promising. We used an optoacoustic method with a high spatial resolution, which makes it possible to measure the concentration of glucose in the blood. Experimental measurements were carried out in porcine blood at various glucose concentrations

Beyond early development: observing zebrafish over 6 weeks with hybrid optical and optoacoustic imaging

Zebrafish animal models have traditionally been used in developmental biology studies but have recently become promising models of cancer, tissue regeneration and metabolic disorders, as well as efficient platforms for functional genomics and phenotype-based drug discovery. Most studies of zebrafish have examined only the embryonic or larval stages of development, yet many questions in developmental biology and biomedicine require analysis of adults, when zebrafish are large and opaque. Conventional microscopy methods are highly sensitive to light scattering and therefore cannot be applied to zebrafish older than a few weeks. We describe a novel multi-modality system that can observe zebrafish from the larval stage to adulthood. Using a hybrid platform for concurrent selective plane illumination microscopy (SPIM) and optoacoustic mesoscopy we show continuous imaging of fish growth over 47 days of development at a similar object size-to-resolution ratio. Using multiple wavelength illumination over the visible and short-wavelength infrared regions, we reveal that the optoacoustic method can follow GFP-based contrast used in SPIM, enabling molecular imaging interrogation in adult fish. Moreover we optoacoustically reveal many other features of zebrafish based on optical contrast not present in SPIM, including contrast from endogenous blood, water and lipids. The hybrid method presented can extend optical imaging to adult zebrafish employed as model systems for studying long-term processes in development, cancer, diabetes and other disorders.

Mathematical model of detection of intra-erythrocyte pathologies using optoacoustic method

Malaria causes a serious health problem in the tropical and subtropical regions of the globe. In many cases, the consequences of this disease are fatal. Therefore, a simple, fast, accurate and affordable diagnostic system for the early detection of this disease is necessary for the timely administration of antimalarial drugs.The malarial parasite, during its intra-erythrocyte development, processes a significant amount of hemoglobin, which in this case turns into a hem form called hemozoin. Hemozoin and hemoglobin have different molar extinction coefficients at certain optical wavelengths, hence, light absorption and an optoacoustic signal (OAS) from the infected cell will be different from that of a healthy cell. The paper describes the developed theoretical model intended for studying the influence of intra-erythrocyte malarial parasite development on optoacoustic signals. The OAS were calculated based on the models of healthy and infected blood modeled on the basis of a 3D model.The simulated OAS were analyzed in the temporal and frequency domains to obtain signs of infection at various stages. The calculated OAS spectra have different amplitude levels, which indicates that the optoacoustic method can be useful for differentiating various intraerythrocyte stages of the malarial parasite. The carried out modeling and the results obtained allow us to continue working on the creation of an optoacoustic flow cytometer.