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Journal ArticleDOI

Extending Imaging Depth in PLD-Based Photoacoustic Imaging: Moving Beyond Averaging

25 Feb 2021-IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE))-Vol. 68, Iss: 3, pp 549-557
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that by combining the recently described approach of subpitch translation on the receive-side ultrasound transducer alongside averaging of multiple frames, it is feasible to increase the depth sensitivity in a PLD-based PAT imaging system.
Abstract: Pulsed laser diodes (PLDs) promise to be an attractive alternative to solid-state laser sources in photoacoustic tomography (PAT) due to their portability, high-pulse repetition frequency (PRF), and cost effectiveness. However, due to their lower energy per pulse, which, in turn, results in lower fluence required per photoacoustic signal generation, PLD-based photoacoustic systems generally have maximum imaging depth that is lower in comparison to solid-state lasers. Averaging of multiple frames is usually employed as a common practice in high PRF PLD systems to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the PAT images. In this work, we demonstrate that by combining the recently described approach of subpitch translation on the receive-side ultrasound transducer alongside averaging of multiple frames, it is feasible to increase the depth sensitivity in a PLD-based PAT imaging system. Here, experiments on phantom containing diluted India ink targets were performed at two different laser energy level settings, that is, 21 and $27~\mu \text{J}$ . Results obtained showed that the imaging depth improves by ~38.5% from 9.1 to 12.6 mm for 21- $\mu \text{J}$ energy level setting and by ~33.3% from 10.8 to 14.4 mm for 27- $\mu \text{J}$ energy level setting by using $\lambda $ /4-pitch translation and average of 128 frames in comparison to $\lambda $ -pitch data acquired with the average of 128 frames. However, the achievable frame rate is reduced by a factor of 2 and 4 for $\lambda $ /2 and $\lambda $ /4 subpitch translation, respectively.
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper , the authors reviewed various examples of EMA sensing instruments, including implementation, performance, and application from the perspectives of circuits to systems, including Chip-based radar sensors for health status monitoring, Thermo-acoustic sensing instruments for biomedical applications, and photoacoustic (PA) sensing and imaging systems.
Abstract: Conventional electromagnetic (EM) sensing techniques such as radar and LiDAR are widely used for remote sensing, vehicle applications, weather monitoring, and clinical monitoring. Acoustic techniques such as sonar and ultrasound sensors are also used for consumer applications, such as ranging and in vivo medical/healthcare applications. It has been of long-term interest to doctors and clinical practitioners to realize continuous healthcare monitoring in hospitals and/or homes. Physiological and biopotential signals in real-time serve as important health indicators to predict and prevent serious illness. Emerging electromagnetic-acoustic (EMA) sensing techniques synergistically combine the merits of EM sensing with acoustic imaging to achieve comprehensive detection of physiological and biopotential signals. Further, EMA enables complementary fusion sensing for challenging healthcare settings, such as real-world long-term monitoring of treatment effects at home or in remote environments. This article reviews various examples of EMA sensing instruments, including implementation, performance, and application from the perspectives of circuits to systems. The novel and significant applications to healthcare are discussed. Three types of EMA sensors are presented: (1) Chip-based radar sensors for health status monitoring, (2) Thermo-acoustic sensing instruments for biomedical applications, and (3) Photoacoustic (PA) sensing and imaging systems, including dedicated reconstruction algorithms were reviewed from time-domain, frequency-domain, time-reversal, and model-based solutions. The future of EMA techniques for continuous healthcare with enhanced accuracy supported by artificial intelligence (AI) is also presented.

1 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper , the authors reviewed various examples of EMA sensing instruments, including implementation, performance, and application from the perspectives of circuits to systems, including Chip-based radar sensors for health status monitoring, Thermo-acoustic sensing instruments for biomedical applications, and photoacoustic (PA) sensing and imaging systems.
Abstract: Conventional electromagnetic (EM) sensing techniques such as radar and LiDAR are widely used for remote sensing, vehicle applications, weather monitoring, and clinical monitoring. Acoustic techniques such as sonar and ultrasound sensors are also used for consumer applications, such as ranging and in vivo medical/healthcare applications. It has been of long-term interest to doctors and clinical practitioners to realize continuous healthcare monitoring in hospitals and/or homes. Physiological and biopotential signals in real-time serve as important health indicators to predict and prevent serious illness. Emerging electromagnetic-acoustic (EMA) sensing techniques synergistically combine the merits of EM sensing with acoustic imaging to achieve comprehensive detection of physiological and biopotential signals. Further, EMA enables complementary fusion sensing for challenging healthcare settings, such as real-world long-term monitoring of treatment effects at home or in remote environments. This article reviews various examples of EMA sensing instruments, including implementation, performance, and application from the perspectives of circuits to systems. The novel and significant applications to healthcare are discussed. Three types of EMA sensors are presented: (1) Chip-based radar sensors for health status monitoring, (2) Thermo-acoustic sensing instruments for biomedical applications, and (3) Photoacoustic (PA) sensing and imaging systems, including dedicated reconstruction algorithms were reviewed from time-domain, frequency-domain, time-reversal, and model-based solutions. The future of EMA techniques for continuous healthcare with enhanced accuracy supported by artificial intelligence (AI) is also presented.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A review of reported tissue optical properties summarizes the wavelength-dependent behavior of scattering and absorption in cells and tissues.
Abstract: A review of reported tissue optical properties summarizes the wavelength-dependent behavior of scattering and absorption. Formulae are presented for generating the optical properties of a generic tissue with variable amounts of absorbing chromophores (blood, water, melanin, fat, yellow pigments) and a variable balance between small-scale scatterers and large-scale scatterers in the ultrastructures of cells and tissues.

2,920 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: An overview of the rapidly expanding field of photoacoustic imaging for biomedical applications can be found in this article, where a number of imaging techniques, including depth profiling in layered media, scanning tomography with focused ultrasonic transducers, image forming with an acoustic lens, and computed tomography using unfocused transducers are introduced.
Abstract: Photoacoustic imaging (also called optoacoustic or thermoacoustic imaging) has the potential to image animal or human organs, such as the breast and the brain, with simultaneous high contrast and high spatial resolution. This article provides an overview of the rapidly expanding field of photoacoustic imaging for biomedical applications. Imaging techniques, including depth profiling in layered media, scanning tomography with focused ultrasonic transducers, image forming with an acoustic lens, and computed tomography with unfocused transducers, are introduced. Special emphasis is placed on computed tomography, including reconstruction algorithms, spatial resolution, and related recent experiments. Promising biomedical applications are discussed throughout the text, including (1) tomographic imaging of the skin and other superficial organs by laser-induced photoacoustic microscopy, which offers the critical advantages, over current high-resolution optical imaging modalities, of deeper imaging depth and higher absorptioncontrasts, (2) breast cancerdetection by near-infrared light or radio-frequency–wave-induced photoacoustic imaging, which has important potential for early detection, and (3) small animal imaging by laser-induced photoacoustic imaging, which measures unique optical absorptioncontrasts related to important biochemical information and provides better resolution in deep tissues than optical imaging.

2,343 citations


Additional excerpts

  • ...PHOTOACOUSTIC tomography (PAT) is a hybrid imaging modality that combines optical absorption contrast with ultrasonic spatial resolution for deep tissue imaging [1], [2]....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The underlying physical principles of the technique, its practical implementation, and a range of clinical and preclinical applications are reviewed.
Abstract: Photoacoustic (PA) imaging, also called optoacoustic imaging, is a new biomedical imaging modality based on the use of laser-generated ultrasound that has emerged over the last decade. It is a hybrid modality, combining the high-contrast and spectroscopic-based specificity of optical imaging with the high spatial resolution of ultrasound imaging. In essence, a PA image can be regarded as an ultrasound image in which the contrast depends not on the mechanical and elastic properties of the tissue, but its optical properties, specifically optical absorption. As a consequence, it offers greater specificity than conventional ultrasound imaging with the ability to detect haemoglobin, lipids, water and other light-absorbing chomophores, but with greater penetration depth than purely optical imaging modalities that rely on ballistic photons. As well as visualizing anatomical structures such as the microvasculature, it can also provide functional information in the form of blood oxygenation, blood flow and temperature. All of this can be achieved over a wide range of length scales from micrometres to centimetres with scalable spatial resolution. These attributes lend PA imaging to a wide variety of applications in clinical medicine, preclinical research and basic biology for studying cancer, cardiovascular disease, abnormalities of the microcirculation and other conditions. With the emergence of a variety of truly compelling in vivo images obtained by a number of groups around the world in the last 2–3 years, the technique has come of age and the promise of PA imaging is now beginning to be realized. Recent highlights include the demonstration of whole-body small-animal imaging, the first demonstrations of molecular imaging, the introduction of new microscopy modes and the first steps towards clinical breast imaging being taken as well as a myriad of in vivo preclinical imaging studies. In this article, the underlying physical principles of the technique, its practical implementation, and a range of clinical and preclinical applications are reviewed.

1,793 citations


Additional excerpts

  • ...PHOTOACOUSTIC tomography (PAT) is a hybrid imaging modality that combines optical absorption contrast with ultrasonic spatial resolution for deep tissue imaging [1], [2]....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
Kenneth Ouriel1
TL;DR: Interventions such as balloon angioplasty, stenting, and surgical revascularisation should be considered in patients with so-called "critical limb ischaemia", dependent on the anatomy of the stenotic or occlusive lesion.

828 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The design of an optically tissue‐equivalent phantom consisting of Intralipid and black India ink is discussed, and previously published values of the optical interaction coefficients of Intalipid are compiled.
Abstract: Intralipid is an intravenous nutrient consisting of an emulsion of phospholipid micelles and water. Because Intralipid is turbid and has no strong absorption bands in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum, and is readily available and relatively inexpensive, it is often used as a tissue simulating phantom medium in light dosimetry experiments. In order to assist investigators requiring a controllable medium that over a finite range of wavelengths is optically equivalent to tissue, we have compiled previously published values of the optical interaction coefficients of Intralipid, most of which were measured at a wavelength of 633 nm. We have extended the measurements of the absorption and reduced scattering coefficients from 460 to 690 nm and the total attenuation coefficient from 500 to 890 nm. These measurements show that, for stock 10% Intralipid, the absorption coefficient varies from 0.015 to 0.001 cm-1 between 460 and 690 nm, the reduced scattering coefficient varies from 92 to 50 cm-1 between 460 and 690 nm, the total attenuation coefficient varies from 575 to 150 cm-1 between 500 and 890 nm, and the average cosine of scatter varies from 0.87 to 0.82 between 460 and 690 nm. With these data, we discuss the design of an optically tissue-equivalent phantom consisting of Intralipid and black India ink.

662 citations