Ultrasound-modulated optical microscopy for ex-vivo imaging of scattering biological tissue

Ultrasound-modulated optical microscopy (UOM) based on a long-cavity confocal Fabry-Perot interferometer (CFPI) [J.Biomed.Opt. 13(5), 0504046, (2008)] is used for real time detection of multiply scattered light modulated by high frequency (30 MHz) ultrasound pulses propagating in an optically strongly scattering medium. In this article, we use this microscope to study the dependence of ultrasound-modulated optical signals on the optical absorption of objects embedded about 3 mm deep in tissue mimicking phantoms. These results demonstrate that the dependence is nearly linear. Most importantly, we imaged blood vasculature and melanin in highly scattering tissue samples from a mouse and a rat. Thus UOM can be used to study the morphology of blood vasculature and blood-associated functional parameters, such as oxygen saturation

Nonlinear photoacoustics for measuring the nonlinear optical absorption coefficient

We report a novel photoacoustic Z-scan (PAZ-scan) technique that combines the advantages offered by the conventional Z-scan method and the sensitivity of the photoacoustic detection. The sample is scanned through the focused laser beam and the generated photoacoustic signal is recorded using a 10 MHz focused ultrasound transducer. Since the signal strength is directly proportional to the optical absorption, PAZ-scan displays nonlinear behavior depicting the nonlinear optical absorption of the material. Among many advantages, our experiments on mouse blood show that PAZ-scan can potentially be used as a standard technique to calibrate contrast agents used in theranostics in general and photoacoustics in particular

Towards very high resolution imaging in ultrasound-modulated optical tomography of biological tissues

We explored the possibility of applying very high ultrasound frequencies to achieve very high resolution in ultrasound-modulated optical tomography of soft biological tissues. The ultrasound-modulated coherent light that traversed the scattering biological tissue was detected by a long-cavity and a large etendue confocal Fabry- Perot interferometer. We used various focused ultrasound transducers of 15 MHz, 30 MHz, and 50 MHz to obtain two dimensional images of optically absorbing objects positioned at a few millimeters depth below the surface of both optically scattering phantoms and soft biological tissue samples. This technology is complementary to other imaging technologies, such as confocal microscopy and optical-coherence tomography, and has potential for broad biomedical applications

Towards very high resolution imaging in ultrasound-modulated optical tomography of biological tissues

We explored the possibility of applying very high ultrasound frequencies to achieve very high resolution in ultrasound-modulated optical tomography of soft biological tissues. The ultrasound-modulated coherent light that traversed the scattering biological tissue was detected by a long-cavity and a large etendue confocal Fabry- Perot interferometer. We used various focused ultrasound transducers of 15 MHz, 30 MHz, and 50 MHz to obtain two dimensional images of optically absorbing objects positioned at a few millimeters depth below the surface of both optically scattering phantoms and soft biological tissue samples. This technology is complementary to other imaging technologies, such as confocal microscopy and optical-coherence tomography, and has potential for broad biomedical applications

Common-path multimodal optical microscopy

We have developed a common-path multimodal optical microscopy system that is capable of using a single optical source and a single camera to image amplitude, phase, and fluorescence features of a biological specimen. This is achieved by varying either contrast enhancement filters at the Fourier plane and/or neutral density/fluorescence filters in front of the CCD camera. The feasibility of the technique is demonstrated by obtaining brightfield, fluorescence, phase-contrast, spatially filtered, brightfield + fluorescence, phase +fluorescence, and edge-enhanced+fluorescence images of the same Drosophila embryo without the need for image registration and fusion. This comprehensive microscope has the capability of providing both structural and functional information and may be used for applications such as studying live-cell dynamics and in high throughput microscopy and automated microscopy

Ex vivo blood vessel imaging using ultrasound-modulated optical microscopy

Recently we developed ultrasound-modulated optical microscopy (UOM) based on a long-cavity confocal Fabry-Perot interferometer (CFPI). This interferometer is used for real-time detection of multiply scattered light modulated by high frequency (30to75MHz) ultrasound pulses propagating in an optically, strongly scattering medium. In this work, we use this microscope to study the dependence of ultrasound-modulated optical signals on the optical absorption and scattering properties of objects embedded about 3mm deep in tissue mimicking phantoms. These results demonstrate that UOM has the potential to map both optical absorption and scattering contrast. Most importantly, for the first time in the field of ultrasound-modulated optical imaging, we image blood vasculature in highly scattering tissue samples from a mouse and a rat. Therefore, UOM could be a promising tool to study the morphology of blood vasculature and blood-associated functional parameters, such as oxygen saturation

Ultrasound-modulated optical microscopy for ex-vivo imaging of scattering biological tissue

Ultrasound-modulated optical microscopy (UOM) based on a long-cavity confocal Fabry-Perot interferometer (CFPI) [J.Biomed.Opt. 13(5), 0504046, (2008)] is used for real time detection of multiply scattered light modulated by high frequency (30 MHz) ultrasound pulses propagating in an optically strongly scattering medium. In this article, we use this microscope to study the dependence of ultrasound-modulated optical signals on the optical absorption of objects embedded about 3 mm deep in tissue mimicking phantoms. These results demonstrate that the dependence is nearly linear. Most importantly, we imaged blood vasculature and melanin in highly scattering tissue samples from a mouse and a rat. Thus UOM can be used to study the morphology of blood vasculature and blood-associated functional parameters, such as oxygen saturation

Medical image processing using transient Fourier holography in bacteriorhodopsin films

Real time image processing is demonstrated by recording and reconstructing the transient photoisomerizative grating formed in the bR film using Fourier holography. Desired spatial frequencies including both high and low band in the object beam are reconstructed by controlling the reference beam intensity. The results are in agreement with a theoretical model based on photoisomerization grating. We exploit this technique to process mammograms in real-time for identification of microcalcifications buried in the soft tissue for early detection of breast cancer. A feature of the technique is the ability to transient display of selected spatial frequencies in the reconstructing process which enables the radiologists to study the features of interest

Imaging optically scattering objects with ultrasound-modulated optical tomography

We show the feasibility of imaging objects having different optical scattering coefficients relative to the surrounding scattering medium using ultrasound-modulated optical tomography (UOT). While the spatial resolution depends on ultrasound parameters, the image contrast depends on the difference in scattering coefficient between the object and the surrounding medium. Experimental measurements obtained with a CCD-based speckle contrast detection scheme are in agreement with Monte Carlo simulations and analytical calculations. This study complements previous UOT experiments that demonstrated optical absorption contrast