Cross-sectional thermoacoustic imaging using multi-layer cylindrical media

For cross-sectional two-dimensional thermoacustic imaging of breast and brain, we explored solution of the wave equation using layered tissue model consisting of concentric annular layers on a cylindrical cross-section. To obtain the forward and inverse solutions of the thermoacoustic wave equation, we derived the Green's function involving Bessel and Hankel functions by employing the geometrical and acoustic parameters (densities and velocities) of layered media together with temporal initial condition, radiation conditions and continuity conditions on the layers' boundaries. The image reconstruction based on this approach involves the layer parameters as the apriori information which can be estimated from the acquired thermoacoustic data. To test and compare our layered solution with conventional solution based on homogeneous medium assumption, we performed simulations using numerical test phantoms consisting of sources distributed in the layered structure.