Image reconstruction in optoacoustic tomography for dispersive acoustic media

Conventional image reconstruction methods for optoacoustic tomography (OAT) assume an idealized, non-dispersive acoustic medium. However, the linear attenuation coefficient and the phase velocity of acoustic waves propagating in soft tissue depend on temporal frequency and satisfy a known dispersion law. These frequency-dependent effects are incorporated into an optoacoustic wave equation, and a corresponding reconstruction method for OAT is developed. The improvement in image fidelity that can be achieved over conventional reconstruction methods is demonstrated by use of computer-simulation studies.