Photoacoustic imaging based on projection of Hadamard patterns is known to produce optical-resolution images with high contrast at low levels of radiant exposure. In this work, the requirements regarding noise level, a two-step reconstruction that reduces artifacts created by a focused detector and approaches to reduce the amount of acquired data without loss of image quality are discussed.
KEYWORDS: Ultrasonography, Sensors, Photoacoustic imaging, Acoustics, Digital micromirror devices, Signal to noise ratio, Light sources, Carbon, Transducers, Data acquisition
Photoacoustic microscopy with whole-area, structured illumination instead of point by point scanning is demonstrated. Using Hadamard patterns in combination with a differential ghost imaging reconstruction yields images of a phantom at various depths.
KEYWORDS: Sensors, Acoustics, Photoacoustic spectroscopy, Transducers, Spherical lenses, Ferroelectric polymers, Image resolution, Axicons, Signal detection, Signal to noise ratio
Photoacoustic macroscopy uses a focused detector scanned across the tissue surface to obtain two- or three-dimensional images. Single element transducers equipped with a spherical acoustic lens suffer from the trade-off between lateral resolution and depth of field (DOF). In order to achieve a large imaging depth with constant lateral resolution over a large depth range, we investigate combinations of concentric ring arrays and acoustic lenses. The ring arrays allow dynamic focusing to a large depth range along the ring axis, and the lenses increase the transducer sensitivity. A photoacoustic sensor array is demonstrated, which consists of piezoelectric ring elements, concentrically arranged relative to a conical acoustic lens. Polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) is used as the lens material. A planar polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film with conducting layers on both sides and 110 μm thickness was attached to the PMMA lens. The conducting layer was electrically etched to create several ring electrodes with equal detection area. Laser pulses from a near infrared optical parametric oscillator illuminated the object through the center of the ring array. The properties of the sensor array and the image formation by dynamic focusing are simulated and compared to experimental results. As demonstrated in B-scans of several phantoms, it is possible to achieve a lateral resolution in the range of 300 μm over a depth range of about two centimeter.
KEYWORDS: Sensors, Acoustics, Monte Carlo methods, Signal detection, Photoacoustic imaging, Photoacoustic spectroscopy, Signal attenuation, Absorption, Transducers, Convolution
Photoacoustic imaging using a focused, scanning detector in combination with a pulsed light source is a common technique to visualize light-absorbing structures in biological tissue. In the acoustic resolution mode, where the imaging resolution is given by the properties of the transducer, there are various challenges related to the choice of sensors and the optimization of the illumination. These are addressed by linking a Monte Carlo simulation of energy deposition to a time-domain model of acoustic propagation and detection. In this model, the spatial and electrical impulse responses of the focused transducer are combined with a model of acoustic attenuation in a single response matrix, which is used to calculate detector signals from a volumetric distribution of absorbed energy density. Using the radial symmetry of the detector, the calculation yields a single signal in less than a second on a standard personal computer. Various simulation results are shown, comparing different illumination geometries and demonstrating spectral imaging. Finally, simulation results and experimental images of an optically characterized phantom are compared, validating the accuracy of the model. The proposed method will facilitate the design of photoacoustic imaging devices and will be used as an accurate forward model for iterative reconstruction techniques.
We present a system for large depth-of-field photoacoustic scanning macroscopy (PASMac). Photoacoustic waves are detected optically with a fiber-optic annular detector array. Pressure changes, induced by the photoacoustic waves, modulate the refractive index in the fibers. The resulting variation of the optical path is measured by interferometric means. The ring-shape of the fibers results in a higher sensitivity to pressure waves stemming from the ring symmetry axis compared to off-axis signals. Hence, the fiber-optic ring-shaped detector array embodies a focused ultrasound transducer, however with a greatly extended depth-of-field. To reduce off-axis sensitivity, the signals from multiple rings with varying diameters are summed up using coherence weighting. By raster scanning of the sensor array, threedimensional or cross-sectional images are formed. We report on the design of an enhanced detector with 8 concentric rings for targeted imaging depths ranging from 5 mm to 50 mm.
Several annular detector arrays are compared for scanning photoacoustic imaging. Compared to single, spherically focused detectors, the arrays offer similar sensitivity, but have an extended depth of field due to their dynamic focusing capability. The investigated arrays consist either of piezoelectric polymer film (PVDF) with a large sensing area for optimized sensitivity or of fiber optic rings, where the small width of elements gives rise to high bandwidth and resolution. Simulations demonstrate the superior resolution of the fiber-optic rings over a flat piezo array. However, with inclined sensing elements also the piezo-detector reaches a similar resolution as the optical array. In phantom experiments with the PVDF array the extended depth of field and the capability of imaging complex objects are demonstrated.
A detector design is presented for scanning photoacoustic macroscopy that is based on several concentric ring-shaped elements made of PVDF. Compared to a spherical ultrasound lens, the array provides a long focal depth due to its dynamic focusing ability. It is shown that with ring elements that are inclined towards the region of interest in the sample, significantly better sensitivity and resolution are achieved compared to a planar array. This is demonstrated in a simulation. Based on the simulation results, an array detector was manufactured and its performance was tested in first phantom experiments.
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