High-resolution ultrasound-modulated optical tomography in biological tissues

We present a novel implementation of high-resolution ultrasound-modulated optical tomography that, based on optical contrast, can image several millimeters deep into soft biological tissues. A long-cavity confocal Fabry-Perot interferometer, which provides a large etendue and a short response time, was used to detect the ultrasound-modulated coherent light that traversed the scattering biological tissue. Using 15-MHz ultrasound, we imaged with high-contrast light-absorbing structures placed >3 mm below the surface of chicken breast tissue. The resolution along the axial and the lateral directions with respect to the ultrasound propagation direction was better than 70 and 120 microm, respectively. The resolution can be scaled down further by use of higher ultrasound frequencies. This technology is complementary to other imaging technologies, such as confocal microscopy and optical-coherence tomography, and has the potential for broad biomedical applications.