Co-impulse multispectral photoacoustic microscopy and optical coherence tomography system using a single...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical optics
• Medical imaging
• Photoacoustic microscopy
• Optical coherence tomography

Background:

• Simultaneous multispectral photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging is crucial for comprehensive in vivo bioimaging.
• Previous discrete implementations of combined PAM and OCT systems are suboptimal for visualizing dynamic physiological and pathological processes.
• A unified system is needed to overcome the limitations of separate or sequentially operated imaging modalities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate a co-impulse dual-mode imaging system enabling simultaneous multispectral PAM and OCT.
• To utilize a single megahertz supercontinuum pulse laser for both imaging techniques.
• To evaluate the system's capability in providing simultaneous structural and functional information for in vivo bioimaging.

Main Methods:

• A co-impulse dual-mode imaging system was designed, integrating multispectral PAM and OCT functionalities.
• A megahertz supercontinuum pulse laser was employed as the single light source for both modalities.
• The 500-600 nm spectral band was allocated for flexible wavelength-switching functional PAM, while the 600-840 nm band was used for OCT imaging.

Main Results:

• The developed system successfully achieved simultaneous multispectral PAM and OCT imaging in vivo.
• Phantom experiments and in vivo imaging of mouse ears validated the system's performance.
• The co-impulse system provided concurrent structural (OCT) and functional (PAM) information, distinguishing normal and melanoma tissues.

Conclusions:

• The co-impulse multispectral PAM-OCT system offers a powerful platform for simultaneous in vivo bioimaging.
• This integrated approach enhances the visualization of physiological and pathological activities.
• The system holds significant potential for advancing research in biomedical optics and disease diagnosis.