A method is proposed that utilizes the advantages of optical ultrasound detection in two-dimensional photoacoustic section imaging, combining an optical interferometer with an acoustic mirror. The concave mirror has the shape of an elliptical cylinder and concentrates the acoustic wave generated around one focal line in the other one, where an optical beam probes the temporal evolution of acoustic pressure. This yields line projections of the acoustic sources at distances corresponding to the time of flight, which, after rotating the sample about an axis perpendicular to the optical detector, allows reconstruction of a section using the inverse Radon transform. A resolution of 120 µm within and 1.5 mm between the sections can be obtained with the setup. Compared to a bare optical probe beam, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is seven times higher with the mirror. Furthermore, the imaging system is tested on a biological sample.
The method proposed in this work combines the advantages of optical detection (optical and acoustical transparency)
with 2D slice imaging, using an optical interferometer combined with an acoustic reflector. The concave reflector has the
shape of an elliptical cylinder and concentrates the acoustic wave generated around one focal line in the other one, where
an optical beam probes the temporal evolution of acoustic pressure. This yields line projections of the initial acoustic
pressure sources at distances corresponding to the time of flight. Image reconstruction from the signals recorded while
rotating the sample about an axis perpendicular to the optical detector requires only the application of the inverse Radon
transform. The resolution and sensitivity of the detection system were investigated in experiments on phantom samples.
Furthermore, the imaging system was tested on a real biological sample.
A piezoelectric detection system consisting of concentric rings is investigated for large depth of field photoacoustic
imaging. Compared to a single ring, the array with its dynamic focusing capability leads to a reduction of imaging
artifacts. Image resolution studies are performed in simulations and in experiments. Detector arrays with four and eight
rings were simulated to compare axial and lateral resolution. In simulation an improvement regarding the reduction of Xshaped
imaging artifacts for the eight ring detection system in comparison to a four ring detection is presented. To
compare the resolution axial and lateral profiles are shown and discussed. Furthermore signal processing methods are
demonstrated, such as coherence factor weighting, which improve resolution and further reduce artifacts. To demonstrate
the multiple ring detection system in experiment we used a 4 ring detection system and crossed horse hairs as phantom.
Different projection images and a 3D image of the phantom are presented.
A piezoelectric detector with cylindrical shape for photoacoustic section imaging is characterized. This detector is larger
than the imaging object in direction of the cylinder axis, giving rise to its integrating properties. Its focal volume has the
shape of a slice and the acquisition of signals for one section image requires rotation of an object about an axis
perpendicular to this slice. Image reconstruction from the signals requires the application of the inverse Radon transform.
It is shown that implementing the Abel transform is a suitable step in data processing, allowing speeding up the data
acquisition since the scanning angle can be reduced. The resolution of the detector was estimated in directions
perpendicular and parallel to the detection plane. An upper limit for the out of plane resolution is given and section
images of a zebra fish are shown.
Photoacoustic imaging is based on the excitation of ultrasound waves by irradiating objects with short laser pulses.
Absorbing laser energy causes thermal expansion, which leads to broadband ultrasonic waves, carrying information
about size, location and optical properties of the observed target. Images reveal purely optical contrast, yet the technique
is acoustic. Classical ultrasonic imaging generates images with purely acoustical contrast based on the impedance
differences of structures in observed samples. For developing a dual mode scanning acoustic microscope, which uses
simultaneously both contrast mechanism (acoustic pulse-echo and photoacoustic image contrast) ultrasonic pulses with a
large depth of field are advantageous. By illuminating special conically shaped transducers, so called axicons, with short
laser pulses, broadband ultrasonic pulses with a large depth of field at small lateral extension can be excited. These
special pulses, so called X-waves and their use in a microscope are investigated.
Photoacoustic imaging with a scanning, fixed focus receiver gives images with high resolution, without the need for
image reconstruction. For achieving high depth of field, a conically shaped piezoelectric ultrasound detector, the so
called axicon-detector, is investigated. It is characterized by a sustained line of focus with a length that depends only on
the geometry of the detector but not on the wavelength. Simulated and experimentally taken images of various objects
reveal X-shaped artifacts due to the conical surface of the detector. To improve the image quality a frequency domain
deconvolution can be applied, as the point spread function (PSF) of the detector is spatially invariant over the depth of
field. The reduction of the artifacts works well for simulated images but is not functional for experimental data yet.
Nevertheless, the detector gives images with precise shape and position of the investigated samples.
Currently two different types of integrating line sensors are used in photoacoustic tomography (PAT). Thin film
piezoelectric polymer sensors (PVDF) are characterized by compactness, easy handling and the possibility to
manufacture sensing areas with different shape. However, they are vulnerable to electrical disturbance and to scattered
light from the illuminated sample. Also optical sensors are used as integrating line sensors in combination with some
kind of interferometric setup. For example, one arm of a
Mach-Zehnder interferometer or the cavity of a Fabry-Perot
interferometer can be used as line detector. In both cases, the light wave either propagates freely in the liquid or is guided
in an optical fiber. Such sensors are quite immune against noise sources described above and suitable for high bandwidth
detection. One drawback is the limited mobility due to the complex arrangement of the setup.
This study is focused on the comparison of the different implementations of line detectors, mainly on directivity and
sensitivity. Shape and amplitude of signals generated by defined sources are compared among the various sensor types.
While the shape of the signals recorded with the optical free beam detector matches quite well to the simulation the
signals detected with the PVDF detector are affected by directivity effects. This causes a strong distortion of the signal
shape depending on the incident angle of the acoustic wave. How these effects influence the reconstructed projection
image is discussed.
Photoacoustic imaging with a scanning, fixed focus receiver gives images with high resolution, without the need for
reconstruction algorithms. However, the usually employed spherical ultrasound lenses have a limited focal depth that
decreases with increasing lateral resolution due to the inverse relation between numerical aperture and Rayleigh length.
In this study the use of an axicon detector is proposed, consisting of a conical surface onto which a piezoelectric polymer
film is attached. The detector is characterized in simulations and in experiments, demonstrating the expected high
resolution over an extended depth of focus. Simulated and experimental images reveal X-shaped artifacts that are due to
the conical detector surface. Since the point spread function (PSF) of the detector is spatially invariant over the depth of
field, a frequency domain deconvolution can be applied to the images. Although this clearly improves the image quality
in simulations, the reduction of artifacts was not so efficient in experiments. However, the detector is able to produce
images with accurate position and shape of objects. Moreover, the axicon transducer rejects signals from planar surfaces
(e.g. the skin surface) and favors signals from small, isolated sources.
Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) with line detectors is based on line integrals of the acoustic pressure field generated by
a photoacoustic source. From these line integrals, which are measured around the source, a two-dimensional (2D)
projection image of the initial pressure is reconstructed. From many such projections in different directions finally a
three-dimensional (3D) image is obtained by applying the inverse Radon transform. In this study the use of an optical
beam as line detector is demonstrated. The beam is part of an optical interferometer. To optimize the image resolution
the beam is focused in the vicinity of the object. The influence of finite beam length, finite width and varying width on
the measured signal is investigated using simulations and experiments. It is found that although the finite beam diameter
limits the temporal resolution, the beam can be treated as almost perfect line detector within the focal range of the optical
lens. An image of a phantom reveals an achievable resolution on the order of about 100 μm or less.
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