Disposable Opto-Acoustic Window Enabled Cost-effective Photoacoustic-Ultrasound Dual-modal Imaging

TL;DR

This paper introduces a cost-effective dual-modal imaging system combining photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging using a disposable opto-acoustic window, enabling simultaneous tissue structure and function visualization.

Contribution

The novel coPAUS system integrates a disposable opto-acoustic window for dual-modal imaging, simplifying setup and reducing costs compared to existing methods.

Findings

Achieved 215 um resolution for PA imaging.

Achieved 91.125 um resolution for US imaging.

Signal-to-noise ratios up to 37.48 dB for PA signals.

Abstract

Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) and ultrasound imaging (USI) are important biomedical imaging techniques, due to their unique and complementary advantages in tissue's structure and function visualization. In this Letter, we proposed a coaxial photoacoustic-ultrasound dual-modal imaging system (coPAUS) with disposable opto-acoustic window. This opto-acoustic window allows part of light to go through it, and another part of light to be converted to ultrasound transmission signal by photoacoustic effect. By single laser pulse illumination, both PA signals and reflected US signals can be generated. Then, a linear array probe receives both PA and US signals, enabling simultaneous dual-modal PA and US imaging. Ex vivo experiments were conducted involving pencil lead, hair, and plastic tube with black spot, as well as in vivo experiment on human finger. The system's resolutions for PA and US imaging are 215 um and 91.125 um, with signal-to-noise ratios for PA and US signals reached up to 37.48 dB and 29.75 dB, respectively, proving the feasibility of the coPAUS dual-modal imaging. The proposed coPAUS system with disposable opto-acoustic window provides an immediate and cost-effective approach to enable US imaging capability based on an existing PA imaging system.