TY - GEN
T1 - Optical coherence tomography of the rat cavernous nerves
AU - Fried, Nathaniel M.
AU - Rais-Bahrami, Soroush
AU - Lagoda, Gwen A.
AU - Chuang, Ying
AU - Burnett, Arthur L.
AU - Su, Li Ming
PY - 2007
Y1 - 2007
N2 - Improvements in identification, imaging, and visualization of the cavernous nerves during radical prostatectomy, which are responsible for erectile function, may improve nerve preservation and postoperative potency. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is capable of real-time, high-resolution, cross-sectional, in vivo tissue imaging. The rat prostate serves as an excellent model for studying the use of OCT for imaging the cavernous nerves, as the rat cavernous nerve is a large, visible, and distinct bundle allowing for easy identification with OCT in addition to histologic confirmation. Imaging was performed with the Niris OCT system and a handheld 8 Fr probe, capable of acquiring real-time images with 11-μm axial and 25-μm lateral resolution in tissue. Open surgical exposure of the prostate was performed on a total of 6 male rats, and OCT images of the prostate, cavernous nerve, pelvic plexus ganglion, seminal vesicle, blood vessels, and periprostatic fat were acquired. Cavernous nerve electrical stimulation with simultaneous intracorporeal pressure measurements was performed to confirm proper identification of the cavernous nerves. The prostate and cavernous nerves were also processed for histologic analysis and further confirmation. Cross-sectional and longitudinal OCT images of the cavernous nerves were acquired and compared with histologic sections. The cavernous nerve and ganglion could be differentiated from the surrounding prostate gland, seminal vesicle, blood vessels, bladder, and fatty tissue. We report preliminary results of OCT images of the rat cavernous nerves with histologic correlation and erectile stimulation measurements, thus providing interpretation of prostate structures as they appear in OCT images.
AB - Improvements in identification, imaging, and visualization of the cavernous nerves during radical prostatectomy, which are responsible for erectile function, may improve nerve preservation and postoperative potency. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is capable of real-time, high-resolution, cross-sectional, in vivo tissue imaging. The rat prostate serves as an excellent model for studying the use of OCT for imaging the cavernous nerves, as the rat cavernous nerve is a large, visible, and distinct bundle allowing for easy identification with OCT in addition to histologic confirmation. Imaging was performed with the Niris OCT system and a handheld 8 Fr probe, capable of acquiring real-time images with 11-μm axial and 25-μm lateral resolution in tissue. Open surgical exposure of the prostate was performed on a total of 6 male rats, and OCT images of the prostate, cavernous nerve, pelvic plexus ganglion, seminal vesicle, blood vessels, and periprostatic fat were acquired. Cavernous nerve electrical stimulation with simultaneous intracorporeal pressure measurements was performed to confirm proper identification of the cavernous nerves. The prostate and cavernous nerves were also processed for histologic analysis and further confirmation. Cross-sectional and longitudinal OCT images of the cavernous nerves were acquired and compared with histologic sections. The cavernous nerve and ganglion could be differentiated from the surrounding prostate gland, seminal vesicle, blood vessels, bladder, and fatty tissue. We report preliminary results of OCT images of the rat cavernous nerves with histologic correlation and erectile stimulation measurements, thus providing interpretation of prostate structures as they appear in OCT images.
KW - Cavernous nerves
KW - Neurovascular bundle
KW - Niris
KW - OCT
KW - Optical coherence tomography
KW - Prostate
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U2 - 10.1117/12.697940
DO - 10.1117/12.697940
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:34548248742
SN - 0819465372
SN - 9780819465375
T3 - Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging - Proceedings of SPIE
BT - Photonic Therapeutics and Diagnostics III
T2 - Photonic Therapeutics and Diagnostics III
Y2 - 20 January 2007 through 21 January 2007
ER -