Abstract
We recently developed the photoacoustic dual-scan mammoscope (DSM), a system that images the patient in standing pose analog to X-ray mammography. The system simultaneously acquires three-dimensional photoacoustic and ultrasound (US) images of the mildly compressed breast. Here, we describe a second-generation DSM (DSM-2) system that offers a larger field of view, better system stability, higher ultrasound imaging quality, and the ability to quantify tissue mechanical properties. In the new system, we doubled the field of view through laterally shifted round-trip scanning. This new design allows coverage of the entire breast tissue. We also adapted precisely machined holders for the transducer-fiber bundle sets. The new holder increased the mechanical stability and facilitated image registration from the top and bottom scanners. The quality of the US image is improved by increasing the firing voltage and the number of firing angles. Finally, we incorporated quasi-static ultrasound elastography to allow comprehensive characterization of breast tissue. The performance of the new system was demonstrated through in vivo human imaging experiments. The experimental results confirmed the capability of the DSM-2 system as a powerful tool for breast imaging.
Highlights
Breast cancer is caused by mutations and abnormal amplification of associated genes
In the dual-scan mammoscope (DSM)-2, we improved the quality of the US image by increasing the number of incident angles from 5 to 9 and the transmit voltage from 1 V to 10 V
The phantom was placed under the water tank for compression, and a single transducer array was used for scanning
Summary
Breast cancer is caused by mutations and abnormal amplification of associated genes. Based on the variations in tissue compositions, breast tissue can be classified into four categories: Group A (almost entirely fatty), Group B (scattered areas of fibroglandular density), Group C (heterogeneously dense), and Group D (extremely dense), corresponding to an increasing percentage of dense tissue in the breast [2]: The breast tissue mainly consists of fat, and is associated with the lowest risk of breast cancer. Group D indicates the highest percentage of dense tissue. The mammogram shows an inverse relationship between system sensitivity and breast tissue density [3]. A safe and effective modality for the screening of patients with high breast density is emergently needed
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