Significance: Intravascular photoacoustic (IVPA) imaging can identify native lipid in atherosclerotic plaques in vivo. However, the large number of laser pulses required to produce 3D images is a safety concern that has not been fully addressed.
Aim: We aim to evaluate if irradiation at wavelengths and dosages relevant to IVPA imaging causes target vessel damage.
Approach: We irradiate the carotid artery of swine at one of several energy dosages using radiation at 1064 or 1720 nm and use histological evaluation by a pathologist to identify dose-dependent damage.
Results: Media necrosis was the only dose-dependent form of injury. Damage was present at a cumulative fluence of 50 J / cm2 when using 1720 nm light. Damage was more equivocally identified at 700 J / cm2 using 1064 nm.
Conclusions: In prior work, IVPA imaging of native lipid in swine has been successfully conducted below the damage thresholds identified. This indicates that it will be possible to use IVPA imaging in a clinical setting without damaging vessel tissue. Future work should determine if irradiation causes an increase in blood thrombogenicity and confirm whether damaged tissue will heal over longer time points.
Accurate measurements of microelastic properties of soft tissues in-vivo using optical coherence elastography can be affected by motion artifacts caused by cardiac and respiratory cycles. This problem can be overcome using a multielement ultrasound transducer probe where each ultrasound transducer is capable of generating acoustic radiation force (ARF) and, therefore, creating shear waves in tissue. These shear waves, produced during the phase of cardiac and respiratory cycles when tissues are effectively stationary, are detected at the same observation point using phase-sensitive optical coherence tomography (psOCT). Given the known distance between the ultrasound transducers, the speed of shear wave propagation can be calculated by measuring the difference between arrival times of shear waves. The combined multitransducer ARF/psOCT probe has been designed and tested in phantoms and ex-vivo studies using fresh rabbit heart. The measured values of shear moduli are in good agreement with those reported in literature. Our results suggest that the developed multitransducer ARF/psOCT probe can be useful for many in-vivo applications, including quantifying the microelasticity of cardiac muscle.
Many complex diseases such as diastolic dysfunction and some types of cardiomyopathy are often characterized by an increased stiffness of heart muscles which can potentially cause heart failure. While changes of heart muscle’s geometry could be detected by various imaging methods, non-invasive measurements of stiffness of the heart muscle are desired to assess such areas of the heart tissues without invasive surgery.
A novel minimally-invasive method of stiffness assessment of heart muscle – optical coherent elastography (OCE) – is based on a combination of applied acoustic radiation force for mechanical excitation of tissue with subsequent phase-sensitive optical coherence tomography (psOCT) measurements of spatio-temporal response of tissue. A minimally invasive probe comprising a small, 2x2 mm size, low-frequency (<5MHz) ultrasound transducer and a clinically approved psOCT imaging fiber was incorporated into a single housing such that psOCT beam and acoustic excitation beam were parallel. Acoustic radiation pressure pulse was applied to initiate tissue displacement and propagation of shear waves that were detected by psOCT. Given the known offset between ultrasound and psOCT beams, the speed of shear waves was measured and shear elastic modulus of the heart tissues can be reconstructed.
The initial results demonstrate that our OCE probe can produce and measure the displacements on the order of several ten nanometers in heart tissue-mimicking phantoms. The results indicate that translate-rotate scanning of OCE probe can simultaneously image the tissue and map its shear elastic modulus.
KEYWORDS: Tissues, Image segmentation, Absorption, Data modeling, Monte Carlo methods, Tissue optics, Photoacoustic imaging, Arteries, Imaging systems, 3D modeling
Coronary heart disease (the presence of coronary atherosclerotic plaques) is a significant health problem in the industrialized world. A clinical method to accurately visualize and characterize atherosclerotic plaques is needed. Intravascular photoacoustic (IVPA) imaging is being developed to fill this role, but questions remain regarding optimal imaging wavelengths. We utilized a Monte Carlo optical model to simulate IVPA excitation in coronary tissues, identifying optimal wavelengths for plaque characterization. Near-infrared wavelengths (≤1800 nm) were simulated, and single- and dual-wavelength data were analyzed for accuracy of plaque characterization. Results indicate light penetration is best in the range of 1050 to 1370 nm, where 5% residual fluence can be achieved at clinically relevant depths of ≥2 mm in arteries. Across the arterial wall, fluence may vary by over 10-fold, confounding plaque characterization. For single-wavelength results, plaque segmentation accuracy peaked at 1210 and 1720 nm, though correlation was poor (<0.13). Dual-wavelength analysis proved promising, with 1210 nm as the most successful primary wavelength (≈1.0). Results suggest that, without flushing the luminal blood, a primary and secondary wavelength near 1210 and 1350 nm, respectively, may offer the best implementation of dual-wavelength IVPA imaging. These findings could guide the development of a cost-effective clinical system by highlighting optimal wavelengths and improving plaque characterization.
Noninvasively probing the biomechanical properties of crystalline lens has been challenging due to its unique
features such as location inside the eye and being optically and ultrasonically transparent. Here we introduce a
method of relying on the spectral analysis of the lens surface response to a mechanical stimulation for the depthdependent
assessment of lens biomechanical properties. In this method, acoustic radiation force (ARF) is used to
remotely induce the deformation on the surface of the crystalline lens, and a phase-sensitive optical coherence
tomography (PhS-OCT) system, co-focused with ARF, utilized to monitor the localized temporal response of ARFinduced
deformations on the lens surface. The dominant frequency from the amplitude spectra of the surface
response is obtained as the indicator of the depthwise elasticity distribution. Pilot experiments were performed on
tissue-mimicking layered phantoms and ex vivo porcine crystalline lens. Results indicate that the frequency response
of the sample surface is contributed by the mechanical properties of layers located at different depths and the depthdependent elastic properties can be revealed from the amplitude spectrum. Further study will be focused on
combining the experimental measurements with theoretical model and inverse numerical method for depth-resolved
elastography of the crystalline lens.
The progressive loss of accommodation of the eye, called presbyopia, affects people with age and can result in a complete loss of accommodation by about age 55 years. It is generally accepted that presbyopia is due to an increase in stiffness of the lens. With increasing age, the stiffness of the crystalline lens nucleus increases faster than that of the cortex. During accommodation, the deformation of different parts of the crystalline lens is different and likely changes with age. However, a direct observation of crystalline lens deformation and strain distribution is difficult because although imaging methods such as OCT or Scheimpflug imaging can distinguish cortex and nucleus, they cannot determine their regional deformation. Here, patterns of laser-induced microbubbles were created in gelatin phantoms and different parts of excised animal crystalline lenses and their displacements in response to external deformation were tracked by ultrasound imaging. In the animal lenses, the deformation of the lens cortex was greater than that of nucleus and this regional difference is greater for a 27-month-old bovine lens than for a 6-month-old porcine lens. This approach enables visualization of localized, regional deformation of crystalline lenses and, if applied to lenses from animal species that undergo accommodation, may help to understand the mechanisms of accommodation and presbyopia, improve diagnostics, and, potentially, aid in the development of new methods of lens modifying presbyopia treatments.
Acoustic Radiation Force (ARF) stimulation is actively used in ultrasound elastography to estimate mechanical properties of tissue. Compared with ultrasound imaging, OCT provides advantage in both spatial resolution and signal-to-noise ratio. Therefore, a combination of ARF and OCT technologies can provide a unique opportunity to measure viscoelastic properties of tissue, especially when the use of high intensity radiation pressure is limited for safety reasons. In this presentation we discuss a newly developed theoretical model of the deformation of a layered viscoelastic medium in response to an acoustic radiation force of short duration. An acoustic impulse was considered as an axisymmetric force generated on the upper surface of the medium. An analytical solution of this problem was obtained using the Hankel transform in frequency domain. It was demonstrated that layers at different depths introduce different frequency responses. To verify the developed model, experiments were performed using tissue-simulating, inhomogeneous phantoms of varying mechanical properties. The Young’s modulus of the phantoms was varied from 5 to 50 kPa. A single-element focused ultrasound transducer (3.5 MHz) was used to apply the radiation force with various durations on the surface of phantoms. Displacements on the phantom surface were measured using a phase-sensitive OCT at 25 kHz repetition frequency. The experimental results were in good agreement with the modeling results. Therefore, the proposed theoretical model can be used to reconstruct the mechanical properties of tissue based on ARF/OCT measurements.
Combined intravascular ultrasound and intravascular photoacoustic (IVUS/IVPA) imaging has been previously established as a viable means for assessing atherosclerotic plaque morphological and compositional characteristics using both endogenous and exogenous contrast. In this study, IVUS/IVPA imaging of atherosclerotic rabbit aortas following systemic injection of gold nanorods (AUNRs) with peak absorbance within the tissue optical window is performed. Ex vivo imaging results reveal a high photoacoustic signal from localized AUNRs in regions with atherosclerotic plaques. Corresponding histological staining further confirms the preferential extravasation of AUNRs in atherosclerotic regions with compromised luminal endothelium and acute inflammation. The ability to detect AUNRs using combined IVUS and photoacoustic imaging in the presence of luminal saline and luminal blood is evaluated using both spectroscopic and single wavelength IVPA imaging techniques. Results demonstrate that AUNR detection within the arterial wall can be achieved using both methods, even in the case of imaging through luminal blood.
Pilot studies of in vivo combined intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and intravascular photoacoustic (IVPA) imaging are reported. A recently introduced prototype of an integrated IVUS/IVPA imaging catheter consisting of a single-element ultrasound transducer and a light delivery system based on a single optical fiber was adapted and used for in vivo imaging of a coronary stent deployed in a rabbit's thoracic aorta in the presence of luminal blood. The results suggest that in vivo IVUS/IVPA imaging is feasible using the integrated IVUS/IVPA imaging catheter. The challenges of in vivo combined IVUS/IVPA imaging are discussed, and further improvements on the design of the catheter and the clinical imaging system are proposed.
Combined intravascular photoacoustic (IVPA) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging has been previously
established as a viable means for imaging atherosclerotic plaques using both endogenous and exogenous contrast. In this
study, IVUS/IVPA imaging of an atherosclerotic rabbit aorta following injection of gold nanorods (AuNR) with peak
absorbance within the tissue optical window was performed. Ex-vivo imaging results revealed high photoacoustic signal
from localized AuNR. Corresponding histological cross-sections and digital photographs of the artery lumen confirmed
the presence of AuNR preferentially located at atherosclerotic regions and in agreement with IVPA signal. Furthermore,
an integrated IVUS/IVPA imaging catheter was used to image the AuNR in the presence of luminal blood. The results
suggest that AuNR allow for IVPA imaging of exogenously labeled atherosclerotic plaques with a comparatively low
background signal and without the need for arterial flushing.
Metal needles are commonly used for drug delivery or biopsy collection in clinical settings. Needle deflection and
deformation can occur when inserting needles into soft,
non-homogeneous tissues which can affect the location accuracy
of insertion. Therefore, the ability to visualize both anatomical surrounding structures and the advancing needle is
required. Ultrasound is commonly used for image-guidance of needles; however, specular reflections from the metal
surface can deflect the acoustic beam away from the transducer when the needle is even slightly angled from the US
transducer thereby rendering the needle invisible in the image.
Photoacoustic imaging has been proposed for guidance of metal needles and other metal objects in-vivo. The high
optical absorption coefficient of stainless steel can provide high photoacoustic imaging contrast. The photoacoustic
signal is produced omni-directionally from the metal surface allowing for greater detection of needles at increasing
injection angles compared to ultrasound imaging. In the current work, needles were inserted into excised tissue and
imaged using an ultrasound array transducer and a pulsed 800 nm laser. The results showed that at a shallow 10°
insertion angle, the photoacoustic ratio of needle signal to background was four-times higher compared to ultrasound.
Furthermore, the surrounding tissue composition was observed to have an effect on photoacoustic signal enhancement
which correlated with the change of the Grüneisen coefficient of the surrounding tissue environment, suggesting that the
photoacoustic signal amplitude could be used to ascertain surrounding tissue composition. Photoacoustic imaging
provides sufficient depth penetration for this application and offers excellent image contrast.
The ability to visualize and track temporarily or permanently implanted metal devices is important in many applications ranging from diagnosis to therapy. Specifically, reliable imaging of metal needles is required in today's clinical settings. Currently, ultrasound is utilized to image a needle inserted into tissue in real time. However, the diagnostic value and tracking ability of these images depends highly on the orientation of the needle, and also its proximity to regions of interest in the tissue. We examine the use of photoacoustic imaging combined with current ultrasound imaging methods to obtain high-contrast images of commonly used needles in the body. Experiments were performed using 21 G and 30 G needles inserted into ex vivo porcine tissue and tissue-mimicking phantoms. The needles and surrounding tissue were imaged using an ultrasound imaging system interfaced with the pulsed laser source necessary for photoacoustic imaging. The results suggest that photoacoustic imaging, combined with ultrasound imaging, is capable of real-time, high-contrast, and high-spatial-resolution visualization of metal implants within anatomical landmarks of the background tissue.
Due to their optical absorption properties, metallic nanoparticles are excellent photoacoustic imaging contrast agents. A silver nanosystem is presented here as a potential contrast agent for photoacoustic imaging and image-guided therapy. Currently, the nanosystem consists of a porous silver layer deposited on the surface of spherical silica cores ranging in diameter from 180 to 520 nm. The porous nature of the silver layer will allow for release of drugs or other therapeutic agents encapsulated in the core in future applications. In their current PEGylated form, the silver nanosystem is shown to be nontoxic in vitro at concentrations of silver up to 2 mg/ml. Furthermore, the near-infrared absorbance properties of the nanosystem are demonstrated by measuring strong, concentration-dependent photoacoustic signal from the silver nanosystem embedded in an ex vivo tissue sample. Our study suggests that silver nanosystems can be used as multifunctional agents capable of augmenting image-guided therapy techniques.
The vulnerability of atherosclerotic plaques that are formed in the arterial walls due to atherosclerosis depends on both
their distribution and composition. The distribution of the plaques can be imaged using an intravascular ultrasound
(IVUS) imaging which is a clinically approved minimally-invasive method. The recently introduced intravascular
photoacoustic (IVPA) imaging may be used to obtain the necessary information about the composition of the plaques.
Previous studies using excised rabbit arteries have demonstrated that the combined IVUS/IVPA imaging may
simultaneously provide the morphology and functional information of plaques. However, for in-vivo IVUS/IVPA
imaging, an integrated IVUS/IVPA imaging catheter capable both of delivering light into a vessel lumen with
consequent detection of photoacoustic transients and of probing the arterial walls in pulse-echo mode is required. In the
current study, an advanced prototype of the integrated IVUS/IVPA imaging catheter based on a 40-MHz single-element
ultrasound transducer and a 600-μm-core single optical fiber is introduced. Unlike previously reported prototypes, the
current integrated IVUS/IVPA imaging catheter is capable of
cross-sectional imaging of vessel walls via mechanical
rotation of the catheter. The performance of the integrated IVUS/IVPA catheter was evaluated in tissue-mimicking
phantoms with and without the presence of blood in a lumen. The results of our study suggest that the approach used to
develop integrated IVUS/IVPA imaging catheter can be successfully translated to the clinical environment for in-vivo
combined IVUS/IVPA imaging.
An ultrasound-based technique capable of detection and
spatio-temporal characterization of microbubbles induced in
water by femtosecond laser is reported. A highly focused
single-element ultrasound transducer was used both to detect
passive acoustic emission of the microbubbles and to probe the microbubbles at different stage of their evolution. The
location of origin and wall of the microbubble was assessed from temporal characteristics of the passive acoustic
emissions and of the pulse-echo signals. The radius of the microbubble was estimated as the distance between the origin
of the bubble and its wall. The ultrasound characterization of microbubbles induced by femtosecond pulses agreed well
with theoretical predictions based on the well-known Rayleigh-based model of bubble behavior in liquid. The results of
this study demonstrate that femtosecond laser-induced microbubbles with typical sizes of several tens of micrometers
can be characterized by the developed ultrasound technique.
A new metallodielectric nanoparticle consisting of a silica core and silver outer cage was
developed for the purpose of enhancing photoacoustic imaging contrast in pancreatic tissue. These
nanocages were injected into an ex vivo porcine pancreas and imaged using a combined photoacoustic and
ultrasound (PAUS) assembly. This custom-designed PAUS assembly delivered 800 nm light through a
fiber optical light delivery system integrated with 128 element linear array transducer operating at 7.5 MHz
center frequency. Imaging results prove that the nanocage contrast agents have the ability to enhance
photoacoustic imaging contrast. Furthermore, the value of the combined PAUS imaging modality was
demonstrated as the location of nanocages against background native tissue was evident. Future
applications of these nanocage contrast agents could include targeting them to pancreatic cancer for
enhancement of photoacoustic imaging for diagnosis and therapy.
Coronary atherosclerosis is a complex disease accompanied by the development of plaques in the arterial wall. Since the
vulnerability of the plaques depends on their composition, the appropriate treatment of the arteriosclerosis requires a
reliable characterization of the plaques' geometry and content. The intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging is capable
of providing structural details of the plaques as well as some functional information. In turn, more functional information
about the same plaques can be obtained from intravascular photoacoustic (IVPA) images since the optical properties of
the plaque's components differ from that of their environment. The combined IVUS/IVPA imaging is capable of
simultaneously detecting and differentiating the plaques, thus determining their vulnerability. The potential of combined
IVUS/IVPA imaging has already been demonstrated in phantoms and ex-vivo experiments. However, for in-vivo or
clinical imaging, an integrated IVUS/IVPA catheter is required. In this paper, we introduce two prototypes of integrated
IVUS/IVPA catheters for in-vivo imaging based on a commercially available single-element IVUS imaging catheter.
The light delivery systems are developed using multimode optical fibers with custom-designed distal tips. Both
prototypes were tested and compared using an arterial mimicking phantom. The advantages and limitations of both
designs are discussed. Overall, the results of our studies suggest that both designs of integrated IVUS/IVPA catheter
have a potential for in-vivo IVPA/IVUS imaging of atherosclerotic plaques.
Treatment of deep venous thrombosis (DVT)—a primary cause of potentially fatal pulmonary embolism (PE)—depends on the age of the thrombus. The existing clinical imaging methods are capable of visualizing a thrombus but cannot determine the age of the blood clot. Therefore, there is a need for an imaging technique to reliably diagnose and adequately stage DVT. To stage DVT (i.e., to determine the age of the thrombus, and therefore, to differentiate acute from chronic DVT), we explored photoacoustic imaging, a technique capable of noninvasive measurements of the optical absorption in tissue. Indeed, optical absorption of the blood clot changes with age, since maturation of DVT is associated with significant cellular and molecular reorganization. The ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging studies were performed using DVT-mimicking phantoms and phantoms with embedded acute and chronic thrombi obtained from an animal model of DVT. The location and structure of the clots were visualized using ultrasound imaging, while the composition, and therefore age, of thrombi were related to the magnitude and spatiotemporal characteristics of the photoacoustic signal. Overall, the results of our study suggest that combined ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging of thrombi may be capable of simultaneous detection and staging of DVT.
An ultrasound technique to measure the spatial and temporal behavior of the laser-induced cavitation bubble is introduced. The cavitation bubbles were formed in water and in gels using a nanosecond pulsed Nd:YAG laser operating at 532 nm. A focused, single-element, 25-MHz ultrasound transducer was employed both to detect the acoustic emission generated by plasma expansion and to acoustically probe the bubble at different stages of its evolution. The arrival time of the passive acoustic emission was used to estimate the location of the cavitation bubble's origin and the time of flight of the ultrasound pulse-echo signal was used to define its spatial extent. The results of ultrasound estimations of the bubble size were compared and found to be in agreement with both the direct optical measurements of the stationary bubble and the theoretical estimates of bubble dynamics derived from the well-known Rayleigh model of a cavity collapse. The results of this study indicate that the proposed quantitative ultrasound technique, capable of detecting and accurately measuring laser-induced cavitation bubbles in water and in a tissue-like medium, could be used in various biomedical and clinical applications.
In many clinical and research applications including cancer diagnosis, tumor response to therapy, reconstructive
surgery, monitoring of transplanted tissues and organs, and quantitative evaluation of angiogenesis, sequential and
quantitative assessment of microcirculation in tissue is required. In this paper we present an imaging technique capable
of spatial and temporal measurements of blood perfusion through microcirculation. To demonstrate the developed
imaging technique, studies were conducted using phantoms with modeled small blood vessels of various diameters
positioned at different depths. A change in the magnitude of the photoacoustic signal was observed during vessel
constriction and subsequent displacement of optically absorbing liquid present in the vessels. The results of the study
suggest that photoacoustic, ultrasound and strain imaging could be used to sequentially monitor and qualitatively assess
blood perfusion through microcirculation.
To perform ultrasound imaging using an array transducer, a focused ultrasound beam is transmitted in a particular direction within the tissue and the received backscattered ultrasound wave is then dynamically focused at every position along the beam. The ultrasound beam is scanned over the desired region to form an image. The photoacoustic imaging, however, is distinct from conventional ultrasound imaging. In photoacoustic imaging the acoustic transients are generated simultaneously in the entire volume of the irradiated tissue - no transmit focusing is possible due to light scattering in the tissue. The photoacoustic waves are then recorded on every element of the ultrasound transducer array at once and processed to form an image. Therefore, compared to ultrasound imaging, photoacoustic imaging can utilize dynamic receive focusing only. In this paper, we describe the image formation algorithms of the array-based photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging system and present methods to improve the quality of photoacoustic images.
To evaluate the performance of photoacoustic imaging using an array transducer, numerical simulations and phantom experiments were performed. First, to evaluate spatial resolution, a point source was imaged using a combined ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging system. Next, image quality was assessed by imaging tissue imaging phantoms containing a circular inclusion. Finally, the photoacoustic and ultrasound images from the combined imaging system were analyzed.
An ultrasound-based method to detect and characterize the laser-induced microbubbles was developed. This method is based on temporal measurement of passive acoustic emission from cavity during laser-tissue interaction and simultaneous active pulse-echo ultrasound probing of the cavitation bubble. These measurements were used to estimate the location of the nanosecond laser induced cavity and to monitor the spatial and temporal behavior of the microbubble. The measurements agreed with estimates derived from a well-known Rayleigh model of the cavity collapse. Overall, the studies indicate that the developed ultrasound technique can be used to detect and accurately measure laser-induced microbubbles in tissue.
A hybrid imaging system is proposed for cancer detection, diagnosis and therapy monitoring by integrating
three complementary imaging techniques - ultrasound, photoacoustic and elasticity imaging. Indeed, simultaneous
imaging of the anatomy (ultrasound imaging), cancer-induced angiogenesis (photoacoustic imaging) and changes in
biomechanical properties (elasticity imaging) of tissue is based on many synergistic features of these modalities and
may result in a unique and important imaging tool. To facilitate the design and development of a real-time imaging
system for clinical applications, we have investigated the core components of the imaging system using numerical
simulations. Differences and similarities between each imaging technique were considered and contrasted. The results
of our study suggest that the integration of ultrasound, photoacoustic and elasticity imaging is possible using a custom
designed imaging system.
Tissue engineering is an interdisciplinary field that combines various aspects of engineering and life sciences and
aims to develop biological substitutes to restore, repair or maintain tissue function. Currently, the ability to have
quantitative functional assays of engineered tissues is limited to existing invasive methods like biopsy. Hence, an
imaging tool for non-invasive and simultaneous evaluation of the anatomical and functional properties of the engineered
tissue is needed. In this paper we present an advanced in-vivo imaging technology - ultrasound biomicroscopy combined
with complementary photoacoustic and elasticity imaging techniques, capable of accurate visualization of both structural
and functional changes in engineered tissues, sequential monitoring of tissue adaptation and/or regeneration, and possible
assistance of drug delivery and treatment planning. The combined imaging at microscopic resolution was evaluated on
tissue mimicking phantoms imaged with 25 MHz single element focused transducer. The results of our study
demonstrate that the ultrasonic, photoacoustic and elasticity images synergistically complement each other in detecting
features otherwise imperceptible using the individual techniques. Finally, we illustrate the feasibility of the combined
ultrasound, photoacoustic and elasticity imaging techniques in accurately assessing the morphological and functional
changes occurring in engineered tissue.
Combination of three complementary imaging technologies - ultrasound imaging, elastography, and optoacoustic imaging - is suggested for detection and diagnostics of tissue pathology including cancer. The fusion of these ultrasound-based techniques results in a novel imaging system capable of simultaneous imaging of the anatomy (ultrasound imaging), cancer-induced angiogenesis (optoacoustic imaging) and changes in mechanical properties (elasticity imaging) of tissue to uniquely identify and differentiate pathology at various stages. To evaluate our approach, analytical and numerical studies were performed using heterogeneous phantoms where ultrasonic, optical and viscoelastic properties of the materials were chosen to closely mimic soft tissue. The results of this study suggest that combined ultrasound-based imaging is possible and can provide more accurate, reliable and earlier detection and diagnosis of tissue pathology. In addition, monitoring of cancer treatment and guidance of tissue biopsy are possible with a combined imaging system.
Two variants of joint transform correlators with monochromatic spatially incoherent illumination are considered. The Fourier-holograms of the reference and recognized images are recorded simultaneously or apart in a time on the same spatial light modulator directly by monochromatic spatially incoherent light. To create the signal of mutual correlation of the images it is necessary to execute nonlinear transformation when the hologram is illuminated by coherent light. In the first scheme of the correlator this aim was achieved by using double pas of a restoring coherent wave through the hologram. In the second variant of the correlator the non-linearity of the characteristic of the spatial light modulator for hologram recording was used. Experimental schemes and results on processing teste images by both variants of joint transform correlators with monochromatic spatially incoherent illumination. The use of spatially incoherent light on the input of joint transform correlators permits to reduce the requirements to optical quality of elements, to reduce accuracy requirements on elements positioning and to expand a number of devices suitable to input images in correlators.
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