Simultaneous multimodal imaging with integrated photoacoustic microscopy and optical coherence tomography

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Medical Imaging
• Microscopy

Background:

• Simultaneous imaging of optical absorption and scattering provides complementary information in biological tissues.
• Existing multimodal imaging techniques often face challenges with registration and shared optical components.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate an integrated multimodal imaging system combining photoacoustic microscopy and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.
• To achieve simultaneous volumetric microscopic imaging of both optical absorption and scattering contrasts.
• To enable intrinsically registered, co-localized imaging of microanatomy and microvasculature.

Main Methods:

• Integration of photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).
• Shared optical scanning and delivery mechanisms for both modalities.
• Synchronized image acquisition for intrinsic image registration.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated simultaneous acquisition of optical absorption (PAM) and scattering (SD-OCT) contrast images.
• Achieved intrinsically registered volumetric microscopic imaging.
• Successfully visualized microanatomy and microvasculature in mouse ears in vivo.

Conclusions:

• The integrated PAM and SD-OCT system provides a powerful tool for multimodal microscopic imaging.
• This technique enables simultaneous visualization of structural and functional information in biological tissues.
• The demonstrated in vivo imaging capabilities highlight its potential for preclinical research.