Catheter-based radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation has long-term success in 60-70% of cases. A better assessment of lesion quality, depth, and continuity could improve the procedure’s outcome. We investigate here photoacoustic contrast between ablated and healthy atrial-wall tissue in vitro in wavelengths spanning from 410 nm to 1000 nm. We studied single-and multi-wavelength imaging of ablation lesions and we demonstrate that a two-wavelength technique yields precise detection of lesions, achieving a diagnostic accuracy of 97%. We compare this with a best single-wavelength (640 nm) analysis that correctly identifies 82% of lesions. We discuss the origin of relevant spectroscopic features and perspectives for translation to clinical imaging.

doi.org/10.1364/BOE.9.001309, hdl.handle.net/1765/105020
Biomedical Optics Express
Department of Biomedical Engineering

Iskander-Rizk, S., Kruizinga, P., van der Steen, T., & van Soest, G. (2018). Spectroscopic photoacoustic imaging of radiofrequency ablation in the left atrium. Biomedical Optics Express, 9(3). doi:10.1364/BOE.9.001309