Functional optoacoustic imaging of moving objects using microsecond-delay acquisition of multispectral...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Medical Imaging
• Acoustic Imaging

Background:

• Optoacoustics offers powerful 3D real-time visualization of dynamic events.
• Motion artifacts in multispectral optoacoustic imaging hinder spectral unmixing and functional analysis.
• Existing methods struggle with concurrent acquisitions at multiple wavelengths due to motion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a method for simultaneous multispectral volumetric optoacoustic data acquisition.
• To overcome motion-induced artifacts in functional optoacoustic imaging.
• To enable artifact-free imaging of dynamic physiological processes in vivo.

Main Methods:

• Introduced a microsecond-level delay between excitation laser pulses at different wavelengths.
• Developed a simultaneous acquisition technique for multispectral volumetric datasets.
• Utilized a handheld matrix array optoacoustic probe for data acquisition.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated robust real-time volumetric visualization of functional blood parameters in human vasculature.
• Successfully averted image artifacts caused by velocities exceeding 2 m/s.
• Achieved artifact-free imaging despite respiratory, cardiac, and abrupt motion.

Conclusions:

• The novel optoacoustic method effectively mitigates motion artifacts in multispectral volumetric imaging.
• This approach facilitates functional imaging of dynamic processes in living tissues and clinical settings.
• The technique enhances the reliability and applicability of optoacoustic imaging for various applications.