用于光声层析成像的虚拟阵列探测及逆拉东变换

提出用固定孔径的换能器虚拟阵列探测器进行数据采集,该换能器只需对样品进行180扫描。实验中,使用调Q Nd: YAG激光器作为光源,激光器输出激光波长为532 nm,重复频率为10 Hz,脉宽为7 ns;使用非聚焦换能器进行光声信号探测,其接收面直径为6 mm,中心频率为2.25 MHz,接收到光声信号用逆拉东变换进行图像重建。以小白鼠的离体爪子作为成像对象,换能器由旋转电机控制并以2作为旋转步长进行180旋转扫描获取实验数据,运用逆拉东变换进行了图像重建。所重建的图像比较清晰地反映了爪子内部的骨骼分布。由此表明,逆拉东变换可以用于光声成像,并且实现了有限角度的光声成像。     

基于多元线性阵列探测器的快速光声层析成像

报道了一种基于相控聚焦的多元线性阵列探测器进行快速光声层析成像的方法和装置,并实现了模拟组织的光声层析成像。实验中采用波长为532nm脉宽为7ns的倍频Q-YAG激光器作为激发光源。多元线性阵列探测器由320个振元组成,采用相控聚焦的方法成像,每次由11个振群的探测器接受信号并合并1路,一幅图像由64路这样的信号组成。实验结果能够正确反映样品中的光学吸收分布。与现有的方法比较,本系统具有快速方便的特点,它有望成为一种组织功能在体成像的新方法,发展成为一种低成本的实用的临床诊断装置。     

定量光声层析成像的研究进展

光声层析(Photoacoustic tomography,PAT)成像结合了超声成像的高分辨率和光学成像的高对比度的优势,是一种新型的生物医学成像模式。PAT成像算法包含两个逆问题,即根据组织产生的光声信号构建初始声压分布图(即图像重建)以及在此基础上估算成像区域的光学特性参数。后者是一个非线性的不适定问题,通常称为定量光声层析(Quantitative photo-acoustic tomography,q PAT)成像。本文在介绍光声成像原理的基础上,对主要的q PAT算法进行综述,讨论各自的优势和不足,并对未来可能的发展方向进行展望。     

基于探测超声的新型生物组织光声层析成像

利用一束单频探测超声穿过由脉冲激光照射产生的光声激发区域，使之与光致声场产生相互作用，光声信号将耦合到探测束上，再解调探测超声来重建光吸收区域的图像，可以得到丰富的组织信息.该信息不仅反映了组织中光吸收的特性，也反映了组织的声学特性.实验中，通过旋转超声探测器进行数据采集，并利用滤波反投影算法重建图像，可得到高信噪比的光声层析图像.由于激光的窄光谱线宽，其吸收是特征分子选择性的，所以此方法既是一种无损伤的结构层析成像方法，也可用于组织的功能成像.     

声透镜对多层样品的光声层析成像

由于光声效应产生光声压分布图像,所以当强散射介质中的模拟吸光组织在受到短脉冲激光照射时,该声压分布会经声透镜成像在像平面上。在像平面上利用线性超声探测器阵列获取光声信号并传递给高速数据采集卡进行数据采集,可由程序重构出光声图像。设计的光声层析成像系统可以采集记录一定深度的数据,成像时只要在所采集到的数据中选取不同列数即可同时获得强散射介质多层样品不同层面的光声图像。实验成功地获得了强散射介质内多层样品不同层面的光声层析图像。该成像方法无需进行复杂的算法重建,且可以同时实现多层样品不同切面的光声成像。     

实验技术共焦扫描光声层析成像技术的研究

报道了一种新的光声层析成像技术--光声傅里叶变换共焦扫描成像技术.并用该技术获得了强散射物质(生物组织)的层析图像,纵向分辨能力小于0.1mm,横向分辨率小于4mm.     

基于镂空阵列探头的反射式光声/热声双模态组织成像

光声和热声成像技术除激发源不同外,可共用一套数据采集和处理系统,具有天然的融合优势.本文提出了一种基于镂空阵列的反射式光声/热声双模态成像技术,该技术利用光纤与天线,通过镂空阵列的开孔进行光声/热声信号激发,使得激发光、微波和接收超声信号共轴,构成明场光声/热声双模态成像模式.通过对探头镂空部分晶元相位和幅值的补偿校准...     

基于声透镜成像系统的光声层析成像

光声成像是采用“光激发-超声波成像”的新型成像技术，它是检测强散射介质内部光吸收分布的一种有效医学影像技术.用短脉冲激光照射强散射介质(如生物组织)，强散射介质由于光声效应产生超声信号，使用具有成像能力的声透镜把声压分布成像于像面上，然后利用具有空间分辨能力的阵列光声传感器，把同一像面上的光声信号强度记录下来，最后根据光声信号强度的空间分布进行图像重组.根据成像系统物像共轭原理，同一物平面的光声信号到达像面的时延相等，而不同物面的光声信号到达同一个探测器平面的时延各不相同，因此，利用BOXCAR的门控积分 关键词： 光声层析成像 声透镜 光声信号     

共焦扫描光声层析成像技术的研究

报道了一种新的光声层析成像技术－光声傅里叶变换共焦扫描成像技术，并用该技术获得了强散射物质（生物组织）的层析图像，纵向分辨能力小于0．1mm，横向分辨率小于4mm。     

Frequency-domain photoacoustic phased array probe for biomedical imaging applications

We report the development of a frequency-domain biomedical photoacoustic imaging system that utilizes a continuous-wave laser source with a custom intensity modulation pattern, ultrasonic phased array for signal detection, and processing coupled with a beam-forming algorithm for reconstruction of photoacoustic correlation images. Sensitivity to optical contrast was demonstrated using tissue-mimicking phantoms and in-vivo tissue samples.     

Monolithically integrated near-infrared and mid-infrared detector array for spectral imaging

A multi-band focal plane array sensitive in near-infrared (near-IR) and mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) is been developed by monolithically integrating a near-infrared (1–1.5 μm) p–i–n photodiode with a mid-infrared (3–5 μm) QWIP. This multiband detector involves both intersubband and interband transitions in III–V semiconductor layer structures. Each detector stack absorbs photons within the specified wavelength band, while allowing the transmission of photons in other spectral bands, thus efficiently permitting multiband detection. Monolithically grown material characterization data and individual detector test results ensure the high quality of material suitable for near-infrared/QWIP dual-band focal plane array.     

Noncontact photoacoustic imaging achieved by using a low-coherence interferometer as the acoustic detector

We report on a noncontact photoacoustic imaging (PAI) technique in which a low-coherence interferometer [(LCI), optical coherence tomography (OCT) hardware] is utilized as the acoustic detector. A synchronization approach is used to lock the LCI system at its highly sensitive region for photoacoustic detection. The technique is experimentally verified by the imaging of a scattering phantom embedded with hairs and the blood vessels within a mouse ear in vitro. The system's axial and lateral resolutions are evaluated at 60 and 30?μm, respectively. The experimental results indicate that PAI in a noncontact detection mode is possible with high resolution and high bandwidth. The proposed approach lends itself to a natural integration of PAI with OCT, rather than a combination of two separate and independent systems.     

Adaptive beamforming for photoacoustic imaging

An adaptive photoacoustic image reconstruction technique that combines coherence factor (CF) weighting and the minimum variance (MV) method is introduced. The backprojection method is widely used to reconstruct photoacoustic tomography images. Owing to the scattering of light, the quality of the photoacoustic imaging can be degraded. CF, an adaptive weighting technique, is known to improve the lateral resolution of photoacoustic images. In addition, an MV adaptive beamforming method can further improve the image quality by suppressing signals from off-axis directions. Experimental studies are performed to quantify the spatial resolution and contrast of the adaptive photoacoustic beamforming methods.     

Co-registration method for photoacoustic imaging and laser speckle imaging

Combining photoacoustic (PA) imaging with laser speckle (LS) imaging (LSI) can simultaneously determine total hemoglobin concentration (HbT), hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SO2), and blood flow rates. Thus,the co-registration of PA and LS images is important in physiological studies and pathological diagnosis.This letter presents a co-registration algorithm combining mutual information with the maximum betweenclass variance segmentation method (Otsu method). The mutual information and Otsu method are used to provide the registration measure criterion and image feature recognition, respectively. The evaluation results show that the registration function possesses a single maximum peak and high smoothness across the global co-registration district, indicating a robust behavior. Moreover, this method has good registration accuracy, and the fusion result simultaneously visualizes the separate functional information of two kindsof images.     

抗蒸汽干扰的液体傅里叶变换红外光声探测器

本文描述一种以微音器作声耦合器件的、适用于与傅里叶交换红外光谱仪联用的液体光声光谱探测器.实验结果表明;这种光声探测器能够消除水蒸汽吸收对样品吸收的干扰,是一种测水量溶液样品傅里叶变换红外光声谱的方法.     

Design and development of compact readout electronics with silicon photomultiplier array for a compact imaging detector

This work aims at developing compact readout electronics for a compact imaging detector module with silicon photomultiplier (SPM) array. The detector module consists of a LYSO crystal array coupling with a SensL's 4×4 SPM array. A compact multiplexed readout based on a discretized positioning circuit (DPC) was developed to reduce the readout channels from 16 to 4 outputs. Different LYSO crystal arrays of 4×4, 8×8 and 12×12 with pixel sizes of 3.2, 1.6 and 1.0 mm respectively, have been tested with the compact readout board using a ¹³⁷Cs source. The initial results show that the compact imaging detector module with the compact multiplexed readout could clearly resolve 1 mm× 1 mm× 10 mm LYSO scintillation crystal array except those at the edges. The detector's intrinsic spatial resolution up to 1 mm can be achieved with the 3 mm×3 mm size SPMArray4 through light sharing and compact multiplexed readout. Our results indicate that this detector module is feasible for the development of high-resolution compact PET.     

Lensless high-resolution photoacoustic imaging scanner for in vivo skin imaging

We previously launched a high-resolution photoacoustic (PA) imaging scanner based on a unique lensless design for in vivo skin imaging. The design, imaging algorithm and characteristics of the system are described in this paper. Neither an optical lens nor an acoustic lens is used in the system. In the imaging head, four sensor elements are arranged quadrilaterally, and by checking the phase differences for PA waves detected with these four sensors, a set of PA signals only originating from a chromophore located on the sensor center axis is extracted for constructing an image. A phantom study using a carbon fiber showed a depth-independent horizontal resolution of 84.0 ± 3.5 µm, and the scan direction-dependent variation of PA signals was about ± 20%. We then performed imaging of vasculature phantoms: patterns of red ink lines with widths of 100 or 200 μm formed in an acrylic block co-polymer. The patterns were visualized with high contrast, showing the capability for imaging arterioles and venues in the skin. Vasculatures in rat burn models and healthy human skin were also clearly visualized in vivo.     

Pixel based focusing for photoacoustic and ultrasound dual-modality imaging

It is desired that the same imaging functional modules such as beamformation, envelope detection, and digital scan conversion (DSC) are employed for the efficient development of a cross-sectional photoacoustic (PA) and ultrasound (US) dual-modality imaging system. The beamformation can be implemented using either delay-and-sum beamforming (DAS-BF) or adaptive beamforming methods, each with their own advantages and disadvantages for the dual-modality imaging. However, the DSC is always problematic because it causes blurring the fine details of an image, e.g., edges. This paper demonstrates that the pixel based focusing method is suitable for the dual-modality imaging; beamformation is directly conducted on each display pixel and thus DSC is not necessary. As a result, the artifacts by DSC are no longer a problem, so that the proposed method is capable of providing the maximum spatial resolution achievable by DAS-BF. The performance of the proposed method was evaluated through simulation and ex vivo experiments with a microcalcification-contained breast specimen, and the results were compared with those from DAS-BF and adaptive beamforming methods with DSC. The comparison demonstrated that the proposed method effectively overcomes the disadvantages of each beamforming method.