Laser scanning laser diode photoacoustic microscopy system

The development of low-cost and fast photoacoustic microscopy systems enhances the clinical applicability of photoacoustic imaging systems. To this end, we present a laser scanning laser diode-based photoacoustic microscopy system. In this system, a 905 nm, 325 W maximum output peak power pulsed laser diode with 50 ns pulsewidth is utilized as the light source. A combination of aspheric and cylindrical lenses is used for collimation of the laser diode beam. Two galvanometer scanning mirrors steer the beam across a focusing aspheric lens. The lateral resolution of the system was measured to be ∼21 μm using edge spread function estimation. No averaging was performed during data acquisition. The imaging speed is ∼370 A-lines per second. Photoacoustic microscopy images of human hairs, ex vivo mouse ear, and ex vivo porcine ovary are presented to demonstrate the feasibility and potentials of the proposed system. Keywords: Photoacoustic imaging, Diode lasers, Medical imaging, Biological imaging, Low-cost source

Design of optimal light delivery system for co-registered transvaginal ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging of ovarian tissue

A hand-held transvaginal probe suitable for co-registered photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging of ovarian tissue was designed and evaluated. The imaging probe consists of an ultrasound transducer and four 1-mm-core multi-mode optical fibers both housed in a custom-made sheath. The probe was optimized for the highest light delivery output and best beam uniformity on tissue surface, by simulating the light fluence and power output for different design parameters. The laser fluence profiles were experimentally measured through chicken breast tissue and calibrated intralipid solution at various imaging depths. Polyethylene tubing filled with rat blood mimicking a blood vessel was successfully imaged up to ∼30 mm depth through porcine vaginal tissue at 750 nm. This imaging depth was achieved with a laser fluence on the tissue surface of 20 mJ/cm2, which is below the maximum permissible exposure (MPE) of 25 mJ/cm2 recommended by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Furthermore, the probe imaging capability was verified with ex vivo imaging of benign and malignant human ovaries. The co-registered images clearly showed different vasculature distributions on the surface of the benign cyst and the malignant ovary. These results suggest that our imaging system has the clinical potential for in vivo imaging and characterization of ovarian tissues