Dual-Polarized Fiber Laser Sensor for Photoacoustic Microscopy.

Lin Lin,Wang Wang,Jin Jin,Liang Liang

doi:10.3390/s19214632

Abstract

Optical resolution photoacoustic microscopy (OR-PAM) provides high-resolution, label-free and non-invasive functional imaging for broad biomedical applications. Dual-polarized fiber laser sensors have high sensitivity, low noise, a miniature size, and excellent stability; thus, they have been used in acoustic detection in OR-PAM. Here, we review recent progress in fiber-laser-based ultrasound sensors for photoacoustic microscopy, especially the dual-polarized fiber laser sensor with high sensitivity. The principle, characterization and sensitivity optimization of this type of sensor are presented. In vivo experiments demonstrate its excellent performance in the detection of photoacoustic (PA) signals in OR-PAM. This review summarizes representative applications of fiber laser sensors in OR-PAM and discusses their further improvements.

Highlights

Optical resolution photoacoustic microscopy (OR-PAM) is a prosperous and growing biomedical imaging modality that provides high-resolution, non-invasive, and label-free functional imaging of healthy and diseased tissues [1,2,3]
To the best of our knowledge, three types of optical fiber-based ultrasound sensors have been developed for photoacoustic imaging
Considering the detection sensitivity, bandwidth, sensor size, and detection field of view [32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42], fiber laser sensors based on the dual-polarization principle have their unique advantages in OR-PAM

Summary

Introduction

Optical resolution photoacoustic microscopy (OR-PAM) is a prosperous and growing biomedical imaging modality that provides high-resolution, non-invasive, and label-free functional imaging of healthy and diseased tissues [1,2,3]. To the best of our knowledge, three types of optical fiber-based ultrasound sensors have been developed for photoacoustic imaging. We focus on reviewing a recently developed dual-polarization fiber-laser sensor for photoacoustic microscopy. Considering the detection sensitivity, bandwidth, sensor size, and detection field of view [32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42], fiber laser sensors based on the dual-polarization principle have their unique advantages in OR-PAM. A fiber-laser-based ultrasound sensor can achieve a 40 Pa NEP over a 50 MHz bandwidth [43,44,45,46]. We review recent progress on the dual-polarization-based fiber laser sensor and its applications in OR-PAM. The last part summarizes the in vivo application of the sensor in OR-PAM

Fabrication and Sensing Principle

Signal Demodulation and Noise Analysis

Frequency Response

Spatial Sensitivity

Photoacoustic Microscopic Imaging

Conclusions