Noninvasive mapping of subcutaneous vasculature with high resolution photoacoustic imaging

Abstract

As a novel hybrid imaging modality, photoacoustic (PA) imaging combines the merits of high optical contrast, good ultrasonic resolution and sufficient imaging depth, which may be of great benefit to noninvasively detect and monitor the pathological changes of subcutaneous vasculature, e.g., congenital vascular tumor and vascular malformation. In this paper, we apply a set of photoacoustic imaging system to image a sample of subcutaneous blood vessels, which is used to simulate the location of human's subcutaneous vasculature. Furthermore, an image of subcutaneous vasculature of the abdomen in a mouse is acquired <i>in vivo</i>. Laser pulses at a wavelength of 532 nm from a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser are employed as light source to generate PA signals in the experiments, because the optical absorption of whole blood is much stronger than that of other tissues at this wavelength. A needle polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) hydrophone with a diameter of 1mm is used to capture PA signals through a circular scan. The experimental results show that detailed structural information of subcutaneous vasculature, such as the shape and position of the blood vessels and the vessel branching, is clearly revealed by the PA imaging system. The spatial resolution of the PA imaging system reaches 80&mu;m. Moreover, the reconstructed image of a mouse's abdomen <i>in vivo</i> demonstrates that this technique is suitable for noninvasive subcutaneous vasculature imaging. All of the results prove that the PA imaging can be used as a helpful tool for monitoring the pathological changes of subcutaneous vasculature.