Simultaneous near-infrared diffusive light and ultrasound imaging

Area of Science:

• Biomedical optics
• Medical imaging
• Ultrasound technology

Background:

• Simultaneous multimodal imaging offers enhanced diagnostic capabilities.
• Integrating ultrasound and near-infrared (NIR) diffuse optical imaging presents technical challenges.
• Accurate reconstruction of optical properties is crucial for quantitative analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a near-real-time combined imager for simultaneous ultrasound and NIR diffuse optical imaging.
• To assess the impact of probe geometry on optical imaging accuracy.
• To investigate the benefits of ultrasound guidance for optical image reconstruction.

Main Methods:

• Construction of a handheld probe integrating a 2D ultrasound array with NIR laser sources and detectors.
• Experimental evaluation of optical imaging accuracy with varying optical source configurations.
• Application of an iterative inversion algorithm guided by coregistered 3D ultrasound data.

Main Results:

• The combined imager enables simultaneous ultrasound and NIR diffuse optical imaging with coregistration.
• Optical imaging accuracy is maintained with a central ultrasound array of approximately 2 cm x 2 cm.
• Ultrasound guidance accelerates convergence of the iterative reconstruction algorithm, requiring only one iteration for accurate results.

Conclusions:

• The developed combined imager is suitable for simultaneous ultrasound and NIR diffuse optical imaging.
• Ultrasound guidance significantly enhances the accuracy and efficiency of optical absorption coefficient reconstruction.
• This technology holds promise for improved non-invasive tissue characterization and diagnostics.