The rapid localization of blood vessels in patients is important in various clinical applications, such as catheterization procedures. While optical techniques, including visual inspection, are limited in their effectiveness at depths below 1 mm, ultrasound and optoacoustic tomography can be used at deeper depths but require a spacer between the tissue and transducer to visualize superficial structures. In this work, we introduce a portable hand-held optoacoustic system that is capable of localizing blood vessels from the point of contact to a depth of 1 cm without the need for a spacer. The probe features a flat, lens-free ultrasound array which enables a largely depth independent response, though at the cost of reduced elevational resolution. In contrast to lens-based probes, where acoustic signals from outside the focal region are distorted, the amplitude of the signal from our probe only varies with depth, resulting in an imaging quality that is largely depth-independent within the imaged region. Additionally, to facilitate miniaturization, dark-field illumination is used, whereby light scattering from the tissue is exploited to homogenize the sensitivity field.
Silicon-photonics is a new ultrasound-detection technology, based on optical resonators, with unparalleled miniaturization levels, sensitivities, bandwidths, and capable of producing dense resonator arrays. Conventional techniques, based on tuning a continuous-wave laser to the resonator wavelength, are not scalable due to the wavelength disparity between the resonators, requiring a separate laser for each resonator. In this work, we show that also the Q-factor and transmission peak of silicon-based resonators can be pressure sensitive, develop a readout scheme based on monitoring the amplitude transmission, and demonstrate its compatibility with optoacoustic tomography.
A new ultrasound-detection technology is developed for ultrahigh-resolution optoacoustic tomography and is experimentally demonstrated with bandwidths exceeding 200 MHz and lateral resolutions beyond 20 μm. Our technology is based on an optical resonator fabricated in a silicon-photonics platform, which is coated by a sensitivity-enhancing polymer, which also eliminates the parasitic effect of surface acoustic waves. Further improvement in sensitivity is achieved by a low-noise interferometric setup, which eliminates the effect of laser frequency noise on the measurement. In vivo optoacoustic tomography is performed on a mouse ear, revealing its vasculature at detail that has been previously reserved to optoacoustic microscopy.
A new ultrasound-detection technology is developed for ultrahigh-resolution optoacoustic tomography and is experimentally demonstrated with bandwidths exceeding 200 MHz and lateral resolutions beyond 20 µm. Our technology is based on an optical resonator fabricated in a silicon-photonics platform, which is coated by a sensitivity-enhancing polymer, which also eliminates the parasitic effect of surface acoustic waves. Further improvement in sensitivity is achieved by a low-noise interferometric setup, which eliminates the effect of laser frequency noise on the measurement. In vivo optoacoustic tomography is performed on a mouse ear, revealing its vasculature at detail that has been previously reserved to optoacoustic microscopy.
We propose a novel all-optical focused ultrasound detector for intravascular optoacoustic imaging and demonstrate its imaging capabilities experimentally; the detector has a bandwidth of more than 75MHz and a spatial resolution of at least 50μm.
KEYWORDS: Sensors, Optoacoustics, Tomography, Signal detection, In vivo imaging, Detector arrays, Chemical elements, Ultrasonics, Signal to noise ratio, Signal analyzers
Novel method for spatially coding ultrasonic detectors is described and experimentally demonstrated by in vivo Optoacoustic imaging of a mouse leg using a single detector, effectively transformed to a 2D detection array with 1763 elements.
Acousto-optic imaging (AOI) enables the non-invasive imaging of light diffusion patterns inside biological tissues. To perform depth-resolved imaging without mechanical scanning, time-gated AOI is often used, in which ultrasound pulses, rather than continuous waves, are delivered into the tissue. However, to achieve a high axial resolution, few-cycle pulses are used, leading to a short measurement time and poor SNR. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a new approach to AOI in which coded ultrasound pulses are used to improve the SNR without sacrificing the axial resolution.
One of the main challenges in intravascular photoacoustic (IVPA) imaging is the limited sensitivity and bandwidth of miniaturized piezoelectric probes. Optical detectors of ultrasound can drastically improve both these features, but often lack acoustic focusing. In this work, we developed a focused ultrasound detector by integrating a miniaturized acoustic lens, made out of glass, with a silicon-photonics-based detector. A detection bandwidth of up to 80 MHz and lateral resolution beyond 50 µm was demonstrated with a lens diameter of 0.8 mm. Our device is transparent in the near-infrared window, simplifying its integration in a miniaturized IVPA probe.
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