There is a critical need to develop minimally invasive in vivo imaging technologies capable of providing microscopic assessment and identification of malignancy at early stages of lung cancer, as early detection and treatment is essential to optimize patient survival. The Northeastern team will develop a photoacoustic imaging (PAI) system, with a miniature (1.5 mm diameter), flexible, and disposable probe that is fully compatible with the requirements of bronchoscopy. The PAI system is expected to achieve an unprecedented axial and lateral resolution of ~27 μm and ~100 μm at cm-scale depths. The proposed system has the potential to become the first ever commercial low-cost endobronchial PAI (EB-PAI) platform and will enable 3D microscopic visualization of lung nodules, reducing the risk, burden, and cost associated with biopsy. Though lung nodule assessment will be the proof-of-concept application for this project, the technology itself can be easily adapted to impact many other areas of clinical practice (e.g., cardiology, nerve detection).