Microwave-heating-coupled photoacoustic radar for tissue diagnostic imaging

An investigation of microwave (MW) heating effects on biotissue for enhancing photoacoustic radar (PAR) signals was conducted. Localized tissue heating generated by MWs was used to improve PAR imaging depth and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Elevated temperatures were measured with thermocouples in ex vivo bovine muscle. The measured temperature rise on the heated spot surface by MWs was in agreement with theoretical predictions. The study showed localized MW heating can increase the photoacoustic imaging depth by 11%, and the SNR by 5% in ex vivo bovine muscle.