Non-invasive evaluation of endometrial microvessels via in vivo intrauterine photoacoustic endoscopy

Qingrong Xia; Shengmiao Lv; Haoxing Xu; Xiatian Wang; Zhihua Xie; Riqiang Lin; Jinke Zhang; Chengyou Shu; Zhiyi Chen; Xiaojing Gong

doi:10.1016/j.pacs.2024.100589

Non-invasive evaluation of endometrial microvessels via in vivo intrauterine photoacoustic endoscopy

Photoacoustics. 2024 Jan 24:36:100589. doi: 10.1016/j.pacs.2024.100589. eCollection 2024 Apr.

Authors

Qingrong Xia^{1

2

3

4}, Shengmiao Lv^{3

4}, Haoxing Xu^{3

4}, Xiatian Wang^{3

4}, Zhihua Xie^{3

4}, Riqiang Lin^{3

4

5}, Jinke Zhang^{3

4}, Chengyou Shu^{3

4}, Zhiyi Chen^{1

6}, Xiaojing Gong^{3

4}

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Medical Imaging, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China.
² Affiliated Nanhua Hospital, University of South China, Hengyang 421002, China.
³ Research Center for Biomedical Optics and Molecular Imaging, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging Science and System, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Science, Shenzhen 518055, China.
⁴ Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Imaging, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Optical Imaging Technology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Science, Shenzhen 518055, China.
⁵ Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
⁶ Institution of Medical Imaging, The Affiliated Changsha Central Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Changsha 410000, China.

Abstract

The endometrium microvessel system, responsible for supplying oxygen and nutrients to the embryo, holds significant importance in evaluating endometrial receptivity (ER). Visualizing this system directly can significantly enhance ER evaluation. Currently, clinical methods like Narrow-band hysteroscopy and Color Doppler ultrasound are commonly used for uterine blood vessel examination, but they have limitations in depth or resolution. Endoscopic Photoacoustic Imaging (PAE) has proven effective in visualizing microvessels in the digestive tract, while its adaptation to uterine imaging faces challenges due to the uterus's unique physiological characteristics. This paper for the first time that uses high-resolution PAE in vivo to capture a comprehensive network of endometrial microvessels non-invasively. Followed by continuous observation and quantitative analysis in the endometrial injury model, we further corroborated that PAE detection of endometrial microvessels stands as a valuable indicator for evaluating ER. The PAE system showcases its promising potential for integration into reproductive health assessments.

Keywords: Endometrial receptivity; In vivo; Intrauterine photoacoustic endoscopy; Microvessels; Non-invasively; Quantitative evaluation.