Photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) has been extensively explored in animal brains but never in the human brain due to its limited field of view (FOV), imaging speed, penetration depth, and sensitivity. Here, we present the first application of PACT in functional human brain imaging. Motor and language functional tasks were employed and performed by post-hemicraniectomy patients. The brain activities were recorded at a 10-cm–diameter FOV, 350-μm/2-s spatiotemporal resolution, and ~2-cm penetration depth using a newly developed massively parallel three-dimensional PACT system. Quantitative validation of the PACT results against 7 Tesla MRI revealed comparable angiographic structures and functional activation in the same FOV. The obtained results represent a critical step toward broader-scope human brain imaging applications using PACT technology.
We introduce a three-dimensional photoacoustic computed tomography (3D-PACT) system with unparalleled imaging depth, clarity, and speed, and demonstrate that the imaged structural and functional optical contrast provide a unique tool for preclinical research and an appealing prototype for clinical translation. 3D-PACT allows for multipurpose imaging of biological tissues ranging from the rodent brain to the human breast. In the rat brain, we visualized whole brain vasculatures, oxygenation dynamics, intrinsic functional connectivity, and electrical-stimulation-induced hemodynamics. In the human breast, an in vivo imaging depth of 4 cm has been achieved by scanning the breast within a single breath hold of 10 seconds. 3D-PACT holds a high reliability to reproducibly generate detailed images with a contrast similar to that provided by contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, yet with higher spatiotemporal resolution and without using exogenous contrast agents.
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