Objectives: Photoacoustic (PA) imaging has become an attractive method for imaging biological tissues due to its capacity to capture both functional and structure information with satisfied spatial resolution. Current commercialized PA imaging systems on the market are limited by their bulky size or inflexible user interface. Here, we present a new HAndheld Real-time ultrasound/Photoacoustic imaging system (HARP) consisting of a detachable fiber bundle-based illumination system integrated with an array-based ultrasound transducer and data acquisition platform. In this system, different PA probes can be adapted for different imaging applications by switching the transducers and the corresponding jackets to fix the fiber pads and transducer in a single setting. The intuitive user interface of the system is a completely programmable MATLAB-based platform. In vitro phantom experiments were conducted to reveal the imaging performance of the developed PA system. We further demonstrated 1) in vivo brain vasculature imaging, 2) in vivo real-time stimulus-evoked cortical hemodynamic changes during forepaw electrical stimulation, and 3) in vivo real-time cerebral pharmacokinetics in rats using the developed PA system. Collectively, this design concept of a customizable ultrasound/photoacoustic imaging system is intended to help overcome the diverse challenges faced by medical researchers performing both preclinical and clinical PA studies.
Date:
2019-07
Relation:
Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism. 2019 Jul;39:623-623.
