Abstract
We have developed a single-breath-hold photoacoustic computed tomography (SBH-PACT) system to reveal detailed angiographic structures in human breasts. SBH-PACT features a deep penetration depth (4 cm in vivo) with high spatial and temporal resolutions (255 µm in-plane resolution and a 10 Hz 2D frame rate). By scanning the entire breast within a single breath hold (~15 s), a volumetric image can be acquired and subsequently reconstructed utilizing 3D back-projection with negligible breathing-induced motion artifacts. SBH-PACT clearly reveals tumors by observing higher blood vessel densities associated with tumors at high spatial resolution, showing early promise for high sensitivity in radiographically dense breasts. In addition to blood vessel imaging, the high imaging speed enables dynamic studies, such as photoacoustic elastography, which identifies tumors by showing less compliance. We imaged breast cancer patients with breast sizes ranging from B cup to DD cup, and skin pigmentations ranging from light to dark. SBH-PACT identified all the tumors without resorting to ionizing radiation or exogenous contrast, posing no health risks.
Highlights
We have developed a single-breath-hold photoacoustic computed tomography (SBH-Photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT)) system to reveal detailed angiographic structures in human breasts
A high density of blood vessels should correlate with angiogenesis[23,24,25], which plays an important role in tumor growth and metastasis[26]
The single-breath-hold PACT (SBHPACT) system is placed underneath a patient bed with minimal separation from the top surface of the bed to the top scanning position of the ultrasonic transducer array (Fig. 1a and Supplementary Fig. 1)
Summary
We have developed a single-breath-hold photoacoustic computed tomography (SBH-PACT) system to reveal detailed angiographic structures in human breasts. By scanning the transducer array elevationally through her right breast, within one breath hold (~15 s), we revealed the angiographic anatomy from the nipple to the chest wall (Fig. 2a and Supplementary Movie 2). Working in 2D mode at 10 Hz frame rate, SBH-PACT continuously monitored arterial pulsatile deformation inside the breast (Supplementary Movie 3) by fixing the transducer array at a specific elevational position[46].
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