Photoacoustic imaging of intestinal physiological biomarkers in infants and children
- 1Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Abstract
BackgroundA major hallmark of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is intestinal hypoxia, but detection of this feature is difficult. Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) is an emerging imaging method to noninvasively visualize intestinal oxygenation and microvasculature and is promising for improved NEC detection. Prior to clinical translation of PAI for NEC detection, initial studies must be performed in a pediatric population to assess safety and feasibility.
MethodsUnder IRB approval, eighteen healthy pediatric participants underwent PAI scans before and after eating a lipid-rich snack. PAI was acquired in each abdominal quadrant with intestinal regions-of-interest (ROI) manually drawn on each image series to measure averaged values of deoxygenated hemoglobin (Hb), oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO2), total hemoglobin (HbT), and oxygen saturation (sO2).
ResultsMinor temporary erythema and pressure from safety goggles in some participants were the only adverse events reported. Pre-/post-prandial changes for HbT, HbO2, Hb, and sO2 were assessed for each abdominal region and age cohort. Results showed significant post-prandial hyperemia in the intestines with no changes in bowel oxygenation.
ConclusionsPAI is a safe and feasible imaging modality for evaluating intestinal blood flow in pediatric patients that detects physiological changes in bowel microvasculature and shows strong potential as a quantitative biomarker for assessment and monitoring of intestinal vascular health.
HighlightsO_LIPediatric abdominal PAI is safe: Only minor, temporary, and immediately reversible adverse events were reported due to goggles C_LIO_LIPediatric abdominal PAI is feasible: Excellent sensitivity for detecting changes in intestinal microvascular biomarkers C_LIO_LIFirst-in-early-pediatric study: Our findings support the translational use of PAI for assessing intestinal vascular health C_LI
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BibTeX
@misc{wright2026photoacoustic,
title = {{Photoacoustic imaging of intestinal physiological biomarkers in infants and children}},
author = {P. Wright and L. Paige and S. Norona and C. D. Welch and K. A. Zeller and V. G. Weis and J. A. Weis},
howpublished = {medRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.14.26362277},
url = {https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.14.26362277v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Photoacoustic imaging of intestinal physiological biomarkers in infants and children
AU - P. Wright
AU - L. Paige
AU - S. Norona
AU - C. D. Welch
AU - K. A. Zeller
AU - V. G. Weis
AU - J. A. Weis
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/14
PB - medRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.14.26362277
UR - https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.14.26362277v1
AB - BackgroundA major hallmark of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is intestinal hypoxia, but detection of this feature is difficult. Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) is an emerging imaging method to noninvasively visualize intestinal oxygenation and microvasculature and is promising for improved NEC detection. Prior to clinical translation of PAI for NEC detection, initial studies must be performed in a pediatric population to assess safety and feasibility. MethodsUnder IRB approval, eighteen healthy pediatric participants underwent PAI scans before and after eating a lipid-rich snack. PAI was acquired in each abdominal quadrant with intestinal regions-of-interest (ROI) manually drawn on each image series to measure averaged values of deoxygenated hemoglobin (Hb), oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO2), total hemoglobin (HbT), and oxygen saturation (sO2). ResultsMinor temporary erythema and pressure from safety goggles in some participants were the only adverse events reported. Pre-/post-prandial changes for HbT, HbO2, Hb, and sO2 were assessed for each abdominal region and age cohort. Results showed significant post-prandial hyperemia in the intestines with no changes in bowel oxygenation. ConclusionsPAI is a safe and feasible imaging modality for evaluating intestinal blood flow in pediatric patients that detects physiological changes in bowel microvasculature and shows strong potential as a quantitative biomarker for assessment and monitoring of intestinal vascular health. HighlightsO_LIPediatric abdominal PAI is safe: Only minor, temporary, and immediately reversible adverse events were reported due to goggles C_LIO_LIPediatric abdominal PAI is feasible: Excellent sensitivity for detecting changes in intestinal microvascular biomarkers C_LIO_LIFirst-in-early-pediatric study: Our findings support the translational use of PAI for assessing intestinal vascular health C_LI
ER -