Predicting outcomes of kidney transplantation using quantitative ultrasound and photoacoustics (Conference Presentation)

Kidney transplantation is the best treatment for renal failure, but demand outstrips supply, leading to long waits. Current methods can’t assess donor kidney quality non-invasively assessment. We developed quantitative ultrasound (qUS) and photoacoustic (qPA) imaging techniques to address this. Our H-scan (qUS) maps fibrotic burden, while multiwavelength qPA examines ischemic reperfusion injury (IRI) during transplant surgery. A trial at St. Michael’s Hospital involved 70 patients. H-scan correlated well with biopsy results and predicted long-term kidney function better. qPA imaging revealed significant differences in perfusion and oxygenation between living and deceased donors, indicating that our methods can improve transplant outcomes through real-time surgical interventions.