title: Using synchrotron X-ray phase-contrast micro-computed tomography to study tissue damage by laser irradiation.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine if X-ray micro-computed tomography could be used to locate and characterize tissue damage caused by laser irradiation and to describe its advantages over classical histology for this application.
  
  
  
  A surgical CO2laser, operated in single pulse mode (100 milliseconds) at different power settings, was used to ablate different types of cadaveric animal tissues. Tissue samples were then harvested and imaged with synchrotron X-ray phase-contrast and micro-computed tomography to generate stacks of virtual sections of the tissues. Subsequently, Fiji (ImageJ) software was used to locate tissue damage, then to quantify volumes of laser ablation cones and thermal coagulation damage from 3D renderings of tissue image stacks. Visual comparisons of tissue structures in X-ray images with those visible by classic light microscopy histology were made.
  
  
  
  We demonstrated that micro-computed tomography could be used to rapidly identify areas of surgical laser ablation, vacuolization, carbonization, and thermally coagulated tissue. Quantification and comparison of the ablation crater, which represents the volume of ablated tissue, and the thermal coagulation zone volumes were performed faster than we could by classical histology. We demonstrated that these procedures can be performed on fresh hydrated and non-sectioned plastic embedded tissue.
  
  
  
  We demonstrated that the application of non-destructive micro-computed tomography to the visualization and analysis of laser induced tissue damage without tissue sectioning is possible. This will improve evaluation of new surgical lasers and their corresponding effect on tissues. Lasers Surg. Med. 48:866-877, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Northwestern University, 303 E. Chicago Ave., Searle 12-561, Chicago 60611, Illinois.
authors.forename: Alan M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago 60611, Illinois.
authors.forename: Stuart R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Stock
authors.affiliation: Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Ave., Argonne 60439, Illinois.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Soriano
authors.affiliation: Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Ave., Argonne 60439, Illinois.
authors.forename: Xianghui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Northwestern University, 303 E. Chicago Ave., Searle 12-561, Chicago 60611, Illinois. cri529@northwestern.edu.|Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Tech E310, Evanston 60208, Illinois. cri529@northwestern.edu.|The Hugh Knowles Center, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Frances Searle Building, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston 60208, Illinois. cri529@northwestern.edu.
authors.forename: Claus-Peter
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Richter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D062109:Dermatologic Surgical Procedures; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D051457:Hyaline Cartilage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D007668:Kidney / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D054020:Lasers, Gas; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D051379:Mice; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D012867:Skin / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D013552:Swine; D017356:Synchrotrons; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography / Q000379:methods
keywords: ablation; carbon dioxide; histology; method; micro-CT; morphometry