Photoacoustic mammography capable of simultaneously acquiring photoacoustic and ultrasound images

J Biomed Opt. 2016 Nov 1;21(11):116009. doi: 10.1117/1.JBO.21.11.116009.

Abstract

We have constructed a prototype photoacoustic mammography system (PAM-02) capable of simultaneously acquiring photoacoustic (PA) and ultrasound (US) images. Each PA, US, and fused PA/US image can be acquired over a wide area of the breast using the scanning module of a US transducer, a PA detector, and optical prisms. The resolution of the PA images exhibits improvement from 2 to 1 mm compared to images acquired using our previous prototype. The maximum scan area of PAM-02 is 90 mm along the horizontal axis and 150 mm along the vertical axis. In a phantom experiment, the available depth was at least 45 mm. A representative example of the application of the PAM-02 prototype in clinical research at Kyoto University is presented and shows S-factor images, which are considered an approximation parameter related to hemoglobin saturation of tumor-related blood vessels. We confirmed the applicability of the system for anatomical and biological research.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Algorithms
  • Breast / diagnostic imaging
  • Equipment Design
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Mammography / methods*
  • Phantoms, Imaging
  • Photoacoustic Techniques / methods*
  • Ultrasonography / methods*