Ultrasound, photoacoustic, and viscoelastic imaging systems and methods for cervical analysis to assess risk of preterm delivery

A method for multi-parametric, non-invasive, and real-time assessment of a risk of preterm labor for a fetus in a maternal pelvis, the method comprising:

• positioning a probe device in the maternal pelvis toward cervical tissue of a cervix of the maternal pelvis, wherein the probe device is communicatively coupled to an ultrasound (US) machine and one or more processors;
• transmitting a plurality of US and photoacoustic (PA) and viscoelastic (VE) signals from the probe device toward the cervical tissue of the cervix upon insertion of the probe device into a vaginal birth canal of the maternal pelvis including the fetus, wherein the transmitted PA signals comprise laser pulses configured to be tunable based on a change in wavelength, wherein the cervical tissue is a medium for the VE signals;
• receiving, into the probe device, a plurality of reflected US and PA and VE signals via the probe device;
• transmitting, via the probe device, the received plurality of reflected US and PA and VE signals to the US machine;
• generating one or more images and one or more biomarker parameters of the cervical tissue based on the reflected US and PA and VE signals in real-time, wherein the one or more biomarker parameters of the cervical tissue comprise a collagen to water ratio of the cervical tissue;
• generating a risk parameter of preterm delivery of the fetus based on the one or more biomarker parameters of the cervical tissue, wherein in response to the collagen to water ratio being representative of an increase of water to collagen over a period of time to above a predetermined threshold, the risk parameter is indicative of a risk of preterm delivery based on the collagen to water ratio;
• and
• displaying in real-time the one or more images via the US machine.