The Feasibility Study of Bone Fracture Assessment Based on Photoacoustic Time-of-Flight Method

Abstract

Abstract Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) technology combines the advantages of acoustic resolution and optical contrast imaging within deep tissue. The commonly clinically used bone fracture detection and evaluation method is X-ray based imaging techniques. In order to study the feasibility of human radius fractures detection in non-radiation and non-invasive way, this study combined the time-of-flight (TOF) method commonly used in industrial nondestructive testing with photoacoustic technology for the detection and location of bone fractures. Firstly, the bone fracture information carried by PA signal was studied by simulating the bone models with different locations of bone fractures. The finite difference time domain (FDTD) method was used to simulate the propagation process of photoacoustic signal in bone tissue. Secondly, the PATOF diagrams formed by PA signals at different locations is obtained by using laser fixed and ultrasonic detector motion detection method. Finally, the PATOF diagrams are further analyzed and quantified. The results show that the photoacoustic bone detection method based on TOF method can effectively locate the fracture location. This study confirms the feasibility of combining PAI technique with TOF method to detect bone fractures, which indicates that PAI technique has great application prospect in bone detection field.