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Development of a diagnostic system for osteoarthritis using a photoacoustic measurement method
Author(s) -
Ishihara Miya,
Sato Masato,
Kaneshiro Nagatoshi,
Mitani Genya,
Sato Shunichi,
Mochida Joji,
Kikuchi Makoto
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
lasers in surgery and medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1096-9101
pISSN - 0196-8092
DOI - 10.1002/lsm.20285
Subject(s) - photoacoustic imaging in biomedicine , osteoarthritis , medicine , medical physics , pathology , optics , alternative medicine , physics
Background and Objectives We demonstrated that photoacoustic measurement enables viscoelastic characterization of biological tissue. The purpose of this study was to develop a practical photoacoustic measurement system for diagnosis of osteoarthritis (OA) by viscoelastic characterization of articular cartilage. Study Design/Materials and Methods The portable system consists of a commercially available 3rd harmonic Q‐switched Nd:YAG laser as a light source and a transducer, which is arranged coaxially with an optical fiber. Cell proliferation tests were performed to study the effect of laser irradiation on chondrocytes. Photoacoustic measurements were performed using enzymatically treated cartilage as a model of OA. Results There was no significant damage of chondrocytes caused by laser irradiation (100 µJ/mm 2 , 5 Hz, 30 shots). The change in relaxation times measured by the photoacoustic measurement had a positive correlation with time of enzymatic treatment, that is, the degree of cartilage degeneration. Conclusions We have developed a noninvasive photoacoustic measurement system designed for arthroscopic use and have demonstrated the applicability of this system to the diagnosis of OA‐like cartilage degeneration. Lasers Surg. Med. 38:249–255, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.