Tangential resolution improvement in thermoacoustic and photoacoustic tomography using a negative acoustic lens

Manojit Pramanik, Geng Ku, Lihong V. Wang

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

57 Scopus citations

Abstract

We developed a novel concept of using a negative acoustic lens to increase the acceptance angle of an unfocused large-area ultrasonic transducer (detector), leading to more than twofold improvement of the tangential resolution in both thermoacoustic and photoacoustic tomography. In both thermoacoustic and photoacoustic tomography, for a given transducer bandwidth, the aperture size of the detector affects the tangential resolution greatly when the object of interest is near the detector surface. We were able to overcome such tangential resolution deterioration by attaching an acoustic concave lens, made of acrylic in front of the flat detector surface. We then quantified the tangential resolution improvement using phantom images. We also showed that the use of the negative lens preserves the shape of an object after the image is reconstructed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number024028
JournalJournal of biomedical optics
Volume14
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2009

Keywords

  • negative acoustic lens
  • photoacoustic tomography
  • tangential resolution
  • thermoacoustic tomography

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Biomaterials
  • Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
  • Biomedical Engineering

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