Optical coherence tomography-guided laser therapy for tumor identification and treatment monitoring

In this study, an integrated theranostic system combining a CW laser diode with optical coherence tomography (OCT)/angiography (OCTA) was utilized for tumor identification and treatment monitoring. To examine the effect of laser exposure on tissue scattering characteristics, the OCT backscattering intensities of non-ablated and ablated tissues were analyzed, and the effect on the skin microvasculature produced by laser ablation was quantitatively evaluated. Moreover, the integrated system and the proposed method were implemented for the treatment of skin and brain tumors on the mouse model. The obtained results indicate that the developed laser ablation system can effectively remove tumor tissues with controllable photodamage under OCT/OCTA guidance and that the system cost may be significantly reduced by using the CW laser diode.