Simultaneous triple-modality imaging of diffuse reflectance, optoacoustic pressure and ultrasonic scattering using an acoustic-resolution photoacoustic microscope: feasibility study

Abstract

The letter discusses the opportunity for cost-effective use of conventional optoacoustic hardware to realize additional imaging modalities such as ultrasonic microscopy and diffuse optical reflectometry within the same laser pulse. Optoacoustic methods for deep biomedical visualization are based on pulsed laser illumination of the internal tissue layers with scattered photons, however some of the back-scattered photons can be absorbed by the optoacoustic detector. Thermoelastic extension of the detector’s surface provides a probing pulse for an ultrasonic modality while the measurement of the amplitude of the probing ultrasonic pulse allows estimation of the diffuse reflectance from the object under investigation.