Photoacoustic signals originating from weak sources can be hard to discriminate from higher intensity signals resulting from the photoacoustic background. In order to reveal these weaker signals we propose a method where the expected background signal is subtracted from the actual signals. In this method an ultrasound image provides the geometry for the pressure distribution used in a photoacoustic wave field simulation. The simulated photoacoustic signals are subtracted from the actual recordings and the residual is used for image reconstruction. This method was successfully validated experimentally with a vessel phantom containing three optical absorption irregularities within the vessel wall.

doi.org/10.1117/12.908367, hdl.handle.net/1765/53828
Photons Plus Ultrasound: Imaging and Sensing 2012
Department of Cardiology

Kruizinga, P., Mastik, F., de Jong, N., van der Steen, T., & van Soest, G. (2012). Ultrasound-guided photoacoustic image reconstruction. Presented at the Photons Plus Ultrasound: Imaging and Sensing 2012. doi:10.1117/12.908367