Multi-focus image fusion with enhancement filtering for robust vascular quantification using photoacoustic microscopy

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Medical Imaging
• Vascular Biology

Background:

• Accurate microvascular pattern identification is crucial for clinical diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring.
• Conventional optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy (OR-PAM) has limited depth of field, hindering detailed vascular analysis.
• Segmentation and quantification of microvasculature are affected by depth-related imaging limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a robust vascular quantification approach for OR-PAM.
• To overcome the depth-of-field limitations of conventional OR-PAM.
• To enhance the accuracy of microvascular pattern identification and quantification.

Main Methods:

• Proposed a multi-focus image fusion with enhancement filtering (MIFEF) approach.
• Employed multi-scale gradients and image matting for improved image fusion quality.
• Utilized enhancement filtering to identify vessels and manage noise without deforming microvasculature.

Main Results:

• The MIFEF approach demonstrated improved image fusion quality and accurate focus measurement.
• The enhancement filtering effectively identified vessels and preserved microvascular integrity.
• Evaluated performance using a leaf phantom, mouse livers, and brains.

Conclusions:

• The proposed MIFEF method significantly enhances vascular quantification in OR-PAM.
• This technique can improve the clinical utility of OR-PAM for diagnosing vascular-related diseases.
• Facilitates optical biopsy for vascular conditions.