Advances of Photoacoustic Tomography

A special issue of Photonics (ISSN 2304-6732).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2023) | Viewed by 10212

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Interests: biomedical imaging; biomedical image processing; photoacoustic tomography

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Guest Editor
School of Electromechanical Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
Interests: photoacoustic tomography; photoacoustic microscopy; industrial ultrasound imaging
School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
Interests: biomedical optics; photoacoustic tomography; optical coherence tomography; image reconstruction

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to contribute a paper to this Special Issue on the topic of “Advances of Photoacoustic Tomography”, which will be published on Photonics, MDPI.

As a noninvasive and nonionizing biomedical tomographic imaging modality, photoacoustic tomography (PAT), or photoacoustic-computed tomography (PACT), has attracted extensive research attention in recent years. PAT’s deep tissue penetration and high optical specificity have shown great potential for structural, functional and molecular imaging. The computation of PAT images involves both acoustic and optical inversion; therefore, requiring novel developments of image reconstruction algorithms to retain high-quality images. Biomedical applications of PAT have been successfully demonstrated in the imaging of cancer, embryos, the brain, etc. The creative technological development and applications of PAT are ongoing endeavors, hopefully in the future aiding in the understanding and clinical diagnosis of a wide variety of diseases for years to come.

This Special Issue aims to collect papers concerning novel technological developments, image reconstruction and correction algorithms, contrast agents and molecular probes, and preclinical and clinical biomedical applications of PAT. Original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Novel design of light delivery optics;
  • New mechanism and piezo-materials for PAT signal detection;
  • Imaging solution and system integration;
  • Light source developed for photoacoustic tomography;
  • Image reconstruction methods;
  • Quantitative photoacoustic tomography;
  • Light fluence and spectral coloring correction methods;
  • Contrast agents and molecular probes;
  • Preclinical and clinical applications of photoacoustic tomography;
  • Multispectral photoacoustic tomography.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Wufan Chen
Prof. Dr. Lvming Zeng
Dr. Li Qi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Photonics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • photoacoustic tomography
  • photoacoustic imaging
  • molecular imaging
  • laser
  • ultrasound
  • image reconstruction
  • light fluence
  • quantitative imaging
  • multispectral imaging
  • contrast agents

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 4378 KiB  
Article
Waveform Selection Based on Discrete Prolate Spheroidal Sequences for Near-Optimal SNRs for Photoacoustic Applications
by Zuwen Sun and Natalie Baddour
Photonics 2023, 10(9), 1031; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics10091031 - 8 Sep 2023
Viewed by 931
Abstract
Waveform engineering is an important topic in imaging and detection systems. Waveform design for the optimal Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) under energy and duration constraints can be modelled as an eigenproblem of a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind. SNR gains can be [...] Read more.
Waveform engineering is an important topic in imaging and detection systems. Waveform design for the optimal Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) under energy and duration constraints can be modelled as an eigenproblem of a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind. SNR gains can be achieved using this approach. However, calculating the waveform for optimal SNR requires precise knowledge of the functional form of the absorber, as well as solving a Fredholm integral eigenproblem which can be difficult. In this paper, we address both those difficulties by proposing a Fourier series expansion method to convert the integral eigenproblem to a small matrix eigenproblem which is both easy to compute and gives a heuristic view of the effects of different absorber kernels on the eigenproblem. Another important result of this paper is to provide an alternate waveform, the Discrete Prolate Spheroidal Sequences (DPSS), as the input waveform to obtain near optimal SNR that does not require the exact form of the absorber to be known apriori. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances of Photoacoustic Tomography)
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9 pages, 1766 KiB  
Communication
Copper Sulfide Small Nanoparticles as Efficient Contrast Agent for Photoacoustic Imaging
by Cristina Gellini, Marilena Ricci and Alessandro Feis
Photonics 2023, 10(7), 772; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics10070772 - 4 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1178
Abstract
An experimental study on an innovative contrast agent is presented. This work demonstrates that copper sulfide in the form of small-sized nanoparticles can be exploited in photoacoustic imaging. An advantage of this material is strong light absorption in the near-infrared range, especially in [...] Read more.
An experimental study on an innovative contrast agent is presented. This work demonstrates that copper sulfide in the form of small-sized nanoparticles can be exploited in photoacoustic imaging. An advantage of this material is strong light absorption in the near-infrared range, especially in the transparency windows of biological tissues. In order to yield a proper contrast, light absorption must be followed by heat release with high efficiency. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the photochemical conversion efficiency of the material. We applied a method that is strictly related to photoacoustic applications. The nanoparticles were produced according to a well-established synthesis. Subsequently, they were diluted in pure water to obtain an extinction <0.2/cm at 1064 nm. The photoacoustic signals, generated by 1064 nm laser excitation, were analyzed as a function of concentration and incident laser energy below 70 μJ /pulse. The signals were carefully compared with those of a reference aqueous solution, containing a light-absorbing ionic solute. Data analysis yielded a light-to-heat conversion efficiency 1.0 (±0.1). We discuss this result by comparison with related studies on other types of copper sulfide nanoparticles, where the conversion efficiency reportedly varied from 33% to 93%. The high value determined in the present study possibly indicates that resonant light scattering and luminescence are negligible for our material system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances of Photoacoustic Tomography)
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10 pages, 3429 KiB  
Article
Hand-Held Optoacoustic System for the Localization of Mid-Depth Blood Vessels
by Zohar Or, Ahiad R. Levi, Yoav Hazan and Amir Rosenthal
Photonics 2022, 9(12), 907; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9120907 - 28 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2110
Abstract
The ability to rapidly locate blood vessels in patients is important in many clinical applications, e.g., in catheterization procedures. Optical techniques, including visual inspection, generally suffer from a reduced performance at depths below 1 mm, while ultrasound and optoacoustic tomography are better suited [...] Read more.
The ability to rapidly locate blood vessels in patients is important in many clinical applications, e.g., in catheterization procedures. Optical techniques, including visual inspection, generally suffer from a reduced performance at depths below 1 mm, while ultrasound and optoacoustic tomography are better suited to a typical depth on the scale of 1 cm and require an additional spacer between the tissue and transducer in order to image the superficial structures at the focus plane. For this work, we developed a hand-held optoacoustic probe, designed for localizing blood vessels from the contact point down to a depth of 1 cm, without the use of a spacer. The probe employs a flat lens-free ultrasound array, enabling a largely depth-independent response down to a depth of 1 cm, at the expense of low elevational resolution. Specifically, while in lens-based probes, the acoustic signals from outside the focal region suffer from distortion, in our probe, only the amplitude of the signal varies with depth, thus leading to an imaging quality that is largely depth-independent in the imaged region. To facilitate miniaturization, dark-field illumination is used, whereby light scattering from the tissue is exploited to homogenize the sensitivity field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances of Photoacoustic Tomography)
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Review

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22 pages, 8519 KiB  
Review
A Review on the Roles of Photoacoustic Imaging for Conventional and Novel Clinical Diagnostic Applications
by Haeni Lee, Seongyi Han, Hyunjun Kye, Tae-Kyoung Kim, Wonseok Choi and Jeesu Kim
Photonics 2023, 10(8), 904; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics10080904 - 4 Aug 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3008
Abstract
Photoacoustic imaging is a promising medical imaging modality that enables the visualization of molecular functional and morphological information of biological tissues. Its clinical potential has been widely investigated for assessing and diagnosing various diseases. Currently, several research groups are developing photoacoustic imaging systems [...] Read more.
Photoacoustic imaging is a promising medical imaging modality that enables the visualization of molecular functional and morphological information of biological tissues. Its clinical potential has been widely investigated for assessing and diagnosing various diseases. Currently, several research groups are developing photoacoustic imaging systems for translation from the laboratory to the clinic. In particular, the integration of photoacoustic imaging into existing diagnostic ultrasound applications, such as cancer diagnosis, has shown promising results. Additionally, recent research has explored the application of photoacoustic imaging for novel clinical uses. In this review paper, recent trials of photoacoustic imaging in both conventional and novel clinical applications are summarized and evaluated. Additionally, current limitations and future directions of photoacoustic imaging for successful translation into the clinical world are discussed. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the recent advancements in photoacoustic imaging and highlight its potential for clinical diagnosis and treatment. It is hoped that this review will contribute to the development of improved diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for a wide range of diseases using photoacoustic imaging. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances of Photoacoustic Tomography)
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23 pages, 3880 KiB  
Review
Advanced Image Post-Processing Methods for Photoacoustic Tomography: A Review
by Kaiyi Tang, Shuangyang Zhang, Zhichao Liang, Yang Wang, Jia Ge, Wufan Chen and Li Qi
Photonics 2023, 10(7), 707; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics10070707 - 21 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2115
Abstract
Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) is a promising imaging technique that utilizes the detection of light-induced acoustic waves for both morphological and functional biomedical imaging. However, producing high-quality images using PAT is still challenging and requires further research. Besides improving image reconstruction, which turns the [...] Read more.
Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) is a promising imaging technique that utilizes the detection of light-induced acoustic waves for both morphological and functional biomedical imaging. However, producing high-quality images using PAT is still challenging and requires further research. Besides improving image reconstruction, which turns the raw photoacoustic signal into a PAT image, an alternative way to address this issue is through image post-processing, which can enhance and optimize the reconstructed PAT image. Image post-processing methods have rapidly emerged in PAT and are proven to be essential in improving image quality in recent research. In this review, we investigate the need for image post-processing in PAT imaging. We conduct a thorough literature review on the latest PAT image post-processing articles, including both general and PAT-specific post-processing techniques. In contrast to previous reviews, our analysis focuses specifically on advanced image post-processing rather than image reconstruction methods. By highlighting their potential applications, we hope to encourage further research and development in PAT image post-processing technology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances of Photoacoustic Tomography)
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