Photoacoustic imaging plus X: a review

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Imaging
• Optoacoustic Imaging
• Medical Technology

Background:

• Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) is an emerging biomedical imaging modality.
• PAI uniquely combines optical contrast with ultrasound's deep penetration capabilities.
• PAI shows significant potential in diverse clinical applications, including cancer detection and surgical guidance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the integration of PAI with advanced technologies.
• To understand how synergistic integration enhances PAI capabilities and applications.
• To explore the future development and clinical translation of PAI.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature review of PAI integrated with other advanced technologies.
• Categorization of research into 'PAI plus X' frameworks.
• Analysis of proposals for system hardware enhancement and imaging quality improvement.

Main Results:

• Identified six key 'PAI plus X' research categories.
• These categories include PAI integration with treatment, circuits, positioning, scanning, sensors, lasers, deep learning, and other imaging modalities.
• Numerous proposals exist to advance PAI hardware, imaging quality, and address clinical challenges.

Conclusions:

• Advancements in 'PAI plus X' approaches will drive significant progress in PAI technology development.
• These innovations are poised to expand PAI's clinical applications.
• PAI's integration potential extends beyond current research, promising broader future utility.