Development of Real-Time 3-D Photoacoustic Imaging System Employing Spherically Curved Array Transducer

Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is a promising imaging modality to visualize specific living tissues based on the light absorption coefficients without dyeing. In this paper, a real-time PA imaging system with a tunable laser was newly developed with an originally designed spherically curved array transducer. Five different series of experiments were conducted to validate the PA measurement system. The peak frequency of the transducer response was 17.7 MHz, and a volume-imaging rate of 3-D volume imaging was 10-20 volumes per second. The spatial resolution of imaging was 90-105 μm along both the axial and lateral directions. The developed imaging system could measure a difference on an absorption coefficient of gold nanorods. Additionally, the PA imaging could visualize the in vivo microvasculatures of a human hand. This PA imaging system with higher spatial- temporal resolution and the tunable laser further should enhance our understanding of not only basic properties of the photo acoustics but also clinical applications.