Mitigation of artifacts due to isolated acoustic heterogeneities in photoacoustic computed tomography using a variable data truncation-based reconstruction method

Photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) is an emerging computed imaging modality that exploits optical contrast and ultrasonic detection principles to form images of the absorbed optical energy density within tissue. If the object possesses spatially variant acoustic properties that are unaccounted for by the reconstruction method, the estimated image can contain distortions. While reconstruction methods have recently been developed to compensate for this effect, they generally require the object's acoustic properties to be known a priori. To circumvent the need for detailed information regarding an object's acoustic properties, we previously proposed a half-time reconstruction method for PACT. A half-time reconstruction method estimates the PACT image from a data set that has been temporally truncated to exclude the data components that have been strongly aberrated. However, this method can be improved upon when the approximate sizes and locations of isolated heterogeneous structures, such as bones or gas pockets, are known. To address this, we investigate PACT reconstruction methods that are based on a variable data truncation (VDT) approach. The VDT approach represents a generalization of the half-time approach, in which the degree of temporal truncation for each measurement is determined by the distance between the corresponding ultrasonic transducer location and the nearest known bone or gas void location. Computer-simulated and experimental data are employed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach in mitigating artifacts due to acoustic heterogeneities

Blast Effects on Structural Elements

Blast loads can represent a great hazard to existing structures. Their effects on structural elements can be decisive for the integrity of both the structure itself and the people within it. The behaviour of the individual elements of a building is totally different due to the heterogeneity of the materials composing them. This fact makes it necessary to carry out tests on each type of structural element in order to correctly evaluate the response of the structure. In addition, the scale effect can produce inaccurate results, making it necessary for tests to be performed on a full scale to validate the results. In this work, the results of several tests with explosives are presented, in different constructive elements, all of them carried out at full scale. These elements range from the structural elements (beams and concrete slabs) to the weak elements of a building (masonry panels)

Compensation for air voids in photoacoustic computed tomography image reconstruction

Most image reconstruction methods in photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) assume that the acoustic properties of the object and the surrounding medium are homogeneous. This can lead to strong artifacts in the reconstructed images when there are significant variations in sound speed or density. Air voids represent a particular challenge due to the severity of the differences between the acoustic properties of air and water. In whole-body small animal imaging, the presence of air voids in the lungs, stomach, and gastrointestinal system can limit image quality over large regions of the object. Iterative reconstruction methods based on the photoacoustic wave equation can account for these acoustic variations, leading to improved resolution, improved contrast, and a reduction in the number of imaging artifacts. However, the strong acoustic heterogeneities can lead to instability or errors in the numerical wave solver. Here, the impact of air voids on PACT image reconstruction is investigated, and procedures for their compensation are proposed. The contributions of sound speed and density variations to the numerical stability of the wave solver are considered, and a novel approach for mitigating the impact of air voids while reducing the computational burden of image reconstruction is identified. These results are verified by application to an experimental phantom

Compensation for acoustic heterogeneities in photoacoustic computed tomography using a variable temporal data truncation reconstruction method

Photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) is an emerging computed imaging modality that exploits optical contrast and ultrasonic detection principles to form images of the absorbed optical energy density within tissue. If the object possesses spatially variant acoustic properties that are unaccounted for by the reconstruction algorithm, the estimated image can contain distortions. While reconstruction algorithms have recently been developed for compensating for this effect, they generally require the objects acoustic properties to be known a priori. To circumvent the need for detailed information regarding an objects acoustic properties, we have previously proposed a half-time reconstruction method for PACT. A half-time reconstruction method estimates the PACT image from a data set that has been temporally truncated to exclude the data components that have been strongly aberrated. In this approach, the degree of temporal truncation is the same for all measurements. However, this strategy can be improved upon it when the approximate sizes and locations of strongly heterogeneous structures such as gas voids or bones are known. In this work, we investigate PACT reconstruction algorithms that are based on a variable temporal data truncation (VTDT) approach that represents a generalization of the half-time reconstruction approach. In the VTDT approach, the degree of temporal truncation for each measurement is determined by the distance between the corresponding transducer location and the nearest known bone or gas void location. Reconstructed images from a numerical phantom is employed to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the approach

Investigation of iterative image reconstruction in three-dimensional optoacoustic tomography

Iterative image reconstruction algorithms for optoacoustic tomography (OAT), also known as photoacoustic tomography, have the ability to improve image quality over analytic algorithms due to their ability to incorporate accurate models of the imaging physics, instrument response, and measurement noise. However, to date, there have been few reported attempts to employ advanced iterative image reconstruction algorithms for improving image quality in three-dimensional (3D) OAT. In this work, we implement and investigate two iterative image reconstruction methods for use with a 3D OAT small animal imager: namely, a penalized least-squares (PLS) method employing a quadratic smoothness penalty and a PLS method employing a total variation norm penalty. The reconstruction algorithms employ accurate models of the ultrasonic transducer impulse responses. Experimental data sets are employed to compare the performances of the iterative reconstruction algorithms to that of a 3D filtered backprojection (FBP) algorithm. By use of quantitative measures of image quality, we demonstrate that the iterative reconstruction algorithms can mitigate image artifacts and preserve spatial resolution more effectively than FBP algorithms. These features suggest that the use of advanced image reconstruction algorithms can improve the effectiveness of 3D OAT while reducing the amount of data required for biomedical applications

The Modelling of Coastal Cliffs and Future Trends

About 80% of the world’s oceanic shorelines include diverse types of cliffed and rocky coasts: plunging cliffs, bluffs backing beaches and rocky shore platforms. In combination, approximately 60% of the world’s population lives within 60 km of the coast. Rapidly retreating soft cliffs may be found worldwide and are particularly vulnerable to changes in the forcing factors. The study and analysis of the rate of change in shoreline position through time is important or even imperative for coastal management. The development of cliff erosion predictive models is mainly limited to geomorphological data because of the complex interactions between physical‐chemical processes acting simultaneously in time and space that result in large scale variations. Current historical extrapolation models use historical recession data, but different environments with the same historical values can produce identical annual retreat characteristics despite the potential responses to a changing environment being unequal. For that reason, process‐response models (PRMs) are necessary to provide quantitative predictions of the effects of natural and human‐induced changes that cannot be predicted using other models. Several models are explained and discussed, including a process‐response model, based on real data at Holderness Coast (UK)