# De-aberration for noninvasive transcranial photoacoustic computed tomography through an adult human skull

## TL;DR

Researchers developed a method to correct image distortions in brain imaging caused by the human skull using a new technique called de-aberration.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is the experimental demonstration of de-aberration in transcranial PACT using a homogeneous elastic skull model.

## Key findings

- PACT images of phantoms through an ex-vivo human skull were successfully de-aberrated using a homogeneous elastic model.
- The de-aberration technique was shown to work across different phantom complexities and positions.
- The method was validated using a second ex-vivo human skull, demonstrating its generality.

## Abstract

Noninvasive transcranial photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) of the human brain, despite its clinical potential as a complementary technology to functional MRI, remains impeded by the acoustic distortion induced by the human skull. The distortion, which is attributed to the markedly different material properties of the skull relative to soft tissue, results in heavily aberrated PACT images. Herein, we report an experimental demonstration of the de-aberration of PACT images through an ex-vivo adult human skull using a homogeneous elastic model for the skull. Using only the geometry, position, and orientation of the skull, obtained from adjunct imaging data and fiducial markers, we faithfully de-aberrate the PACT images of light-absorbing phantoms acquired through an ex-vivo human skull for different levels of phantom complexity and positions. We also demonstrate the generality of our results by attaining a similar extent of de-aberration through a second ex-vivo human skull. Our work addresses the longstanding challenge of skull-induced aberrations in transcranial PACT and advances the field towards unlocking the full potential of transcranial human brain PACT.

Noninvasive transcranial photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) of the human brain remains impeded by the acoustic distortion induced by the skull. Here, using a homogeneous elastic skull model, the authors de-aberrate the PACT images of light-absorbing phantoms acquired through an ex-vivo human skull for different levels of phantom complexity.