Parallel multilayer photoacoustic microscopy of slide-free histology using a droplet-shaped UV beam
- 1Nanophotonics Research Center, Institute of Microscale Optoelectronics & State Key Laboratory of Radio Frequency Heterogeneous, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.
- 2Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital, Shenzhen 518060, China.
Abstract
Label-free and slide-free histological imaging of surgical tissues is vital for guiding surgical decisions during tumor resection. UV photoacoustic microscopy can be employed to discern atypical cytologic characteristics without using exogenous contrast agents, but the narrow depth of field limits image quality and delays histological visualization when scanning unprocessed tissue specimens with large thicknesses and irregular surfaces. Here, we develop a liquid crystal-based metalens for precise wavefront engineering of the incident UV light to create a droplet-shaped photoacoustic excitation beam. An axially extended depth of field with subcellular lateral resolution is achieved using multiple optical foci during photoacoustic microscopy, enabling parallel discrete multilayer imaging of slide-free specimens. Fast and accurate observations of microarchitectural details offer label-free high-throughput histology insights of unprocessed human glioma specimens without sectioning and staining, demonstrating the feasibility of rapid multilayer histological imaging in thick tissues and supporting the future development of intraoperative pathological assessment techniques.
Related
- A novel microscale multilayer PZT MEMS cantilever for resonant photoacoustic gas sensing
- Acoustic coherence-aware oriented 3D photoacoustic microscopy super-resolution with noise-suppression
- Multiscale Characterization of Mesh–Tissue Interface Disorganization in Chronic Mesh-Associated Inflammatory Remodeling Using Histology and Atomic Force Microscopy: An Exploratory Study
- Acquisition-inspired motion artifact modeling and degradation-consistent diffusion restoration in photoacoustic microscopy
- Hybrid Confocal Fluorescence and Photoacoustic Microscopy for In‐Depth and Noninvasive Imaging of Biomolecule‐Functionalized 3D Scaffolds
BibTeX
@article{song2026parallel,
title = {{Parallel multilayer photoacoustic microscopy of slide-free histology using a droplet-shaped UV beam}},
author = {Wei Song and Yechen Wang and Jing Liu and Ya-Chao Wang and Xiaocong Yuan},
journal = {Science Advances},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1126/sciadv.aeh1153},
url = {https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aeh1153},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Parallel multilayer photoacoustic microscopy of slide-free histology using a droplet-shaped UV beam
AU - Wei Song
AU - Yechen Wang
AU - Jing Liu
AU - Ya-Chao Wang
AU - Xiaocong Yuan
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/02
JO - Science Advances
DO - 10.1126/sciadv.aeh1153
UR - https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aeh1153
AB - Label-free and slide-free histological imaging of surgical tissues is vital for guiding surgical decisions during tumor resection. UV photoacoustic microscopy can be employed to discern atypical cytologic characteristics without using exogenous contrast agents, but the narrow depth of field limits image quality and delays histological visualization when scanning unprocessed tissue specimens with large thicknesses and irregular surfaces. Here, we develop a liquid crystal-based metalens for precise wavefront engineering of the incident UV light to create a droplet-shaped photoacoustic excitation beam. An axially extended depth of field with subcellular lateral resolution is achieved using multiple optical foci during photoacoustic microscopy, enabling parallel discrete multilayer imaging of slide-free specimens. Fast and accurate observations of microarchitectural details offer label-free high-throughput histology insights of unprocessed human glioma specimens without sectioning and staining, demonstrating the feasibility of rapid multilayer histological imaging in thick tissues and supporting the future development of intraoperative pathological assessment techniques.
SN - 2375-2548
ER -