Photoacoustic remote sensing elastography.

Abstract

The mechanical properties of organisms are important indicators for clinical disputes and disease monitoring, yet most existing elastography techniques are based on contact measurements, which are limited in many application scenarios. Photoacoustic remote sensing elastography (PARSE) is the first, to the best of our knowledge, elastography modality based on acoustic pressure monitoring, where elastic contrast information is obtained by using an all-optical non-contact and non-coherent intensity monitoring method through the time-response properties of laser-induced photoacoustic pressure. To validate PARSE, sections of different elastic organs were measured and this modality was applied to differentiate between bronchial cartilage and soft tissue to confirm the validity of the elasticity evaluation. PARSE, through a mathematical derivation process, has a 9.5-times greater distinction detection capability than photoacoustic remote sensing (PARS) imaging in stained bronchial sections, expands the scope of conventional PARS imaging, and has potential to become an important complementary imaging modality.