Spatial resolution in photoacoustic computed tomography

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Imaging
• Optoacoustic Imaging
• Medical Physics

Background:

• Photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) is a rapidly advancing biomedical imaging technique.
• Spatial resolution is a critical metric for evaluating PACT system performance.
• Understanding factors that degrade spatial resolution is essential for PACT development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively review and analyze the state-of-the-art literature on spatial resolution in PACT.
• To elucidate the models of spatial resolution degradation across the PACT imaging chain.
• To identify and discuss current approaches for enhancing PACT spatial resolution.

Main Methods:

• Literature survey of PACT spatial resolution.
• Analysis of resolution degradation models (signal generation, propagation, reception, reconstruction).
• Review of factors impacting spatial resolution: laser pulse duration, acoustic properties, detector characteristics, and reconstruction algorithms.

Main Results:

• Detailed review of factors influencing PACT spatial resolution, including analytical expressions for point spread functions.
• Discussion of how laser pulse duration, acoustic attenuation/heterogeneity, detector bandwidth/aperture/view angle, signal sampling, and reconstruction algorithms affect resolution.
• Summary of state-of-the-art techniques aimed at improving PACT spatial resolution.

Conclusions:

• Spatial resolution in PACT is influenced by multiple factors throughout the imaging process.
• A thorough understanding of these factors is crucial for optimizing PACT imaging performance.
• This review provides a foundation for developing novel techniques to enhance PACT image quality.