UTA grant work sharpens deep-tissue vascular imaging
NIH-funded research led by Baohong Yuan is developing super-resolution tomographic imaging for clearer visualization of biological structures several centimeters below the skin.
Baohong Yuan, PhD, professor of bioengineering at the University of Texas at Arlington, is leading NIH-funded research on super-resolution tomographic imaging in centimeter-deep tissue. UTA said the work is intended to improve visualization of biological structures far beneath the skin.
The NIH RePORTER listing identifies the project as “Super-resolution tomographic imaging in centimeter-deep tissue,” with Yuan as principal investigator and project number R01EB038237.
The research addresses a trade-off in imaging depth and spatial detail. UTA said MRI and CT can image the whole body but may not resolve fine structures, while ultrasound offers real-time imaging but lacks microscopic-level sharpness.
Yuan’s approach combines optical imaging with ultrasound-mediated localization. In earlier published work from his laboratory, ultrasound-switchable fluorescence was described as a method for high-resolution fluorescence imaging in centimeter-deep tissue.
“There’s always something making your image become blurred,” Yuan said in the university announcement. He said the goal is to find new ways to overcome that limit.
The technique uses light, ultrasound, and nanoparticles to generate localized fluorescent signals where ultrasound is applied. Imaging data can then be reconstructed computationally into 3D maps of the region of interest.
Prior work from Yuan’s group showed ultrasound-switchable fluorescence imaging of a sub-millimeter silicone tube embedded in tissue up to 5.5 cm thick. That study used an indocyanine-green liposome contrast agent and an EMCCD-based imaging system.
Cancer and vascular disease are among the potential application areas cited by UTA. Yuan said the method is not intended to replace MRI, CT, or ultrasound, but to add high-resolution information at depth.
The team remains in the research and preclinical phase. UTA said future use could include research laboratories, hospitals, and operating rooms where clearer deep-tissue imaging may support clinical decisions or image-guided procedures.
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