To evaluate the utility of PA in imaging the GI tract in large animals, we conducted a feasibility study using the porcine gastric wall ex vivo. We used fresh pig stomachs within hours of sacrifice and successfully acquired multispectral images of the vasculature of the porcine gastric wall layer ex vivo. Imaging proceeded with samples of the entire stomach layer, including the mucosa, submucosa, muscularis externa, and serosa. It was possible to acquire the vascular signal up to 1.9 mm depth from the mucosal surface, which could cover the entire mucosa and submucosa.
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