arXiv subjects

Wiendelt Steenbergen

Publications and source records attributed to Wiendelt Steenbergen.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2017

A Framework for Directional and Higher-Order Reconstruction in Photoacoustic Tomography

Photoacoustic tomography is a hybrid imaging technique that combines high optical tissue contrast with high ultrasound resolution. Direct reconstruction methods such as filtered backprojection, time reversal and least squares suffer from curved line artefacts and blurring, especially in case of limited angles or strong noise. In recent years, there has been great interest in regularised iterative methods. These methods employ prior knowledge on the image to provide higher quality reconstructions. However, easy comparisons between regularisers and their properties are limited, since many tomography implementations heavily rely on the specific regulariser chosen. To overcome this bottleneck, we present a modular reconstruction framework for photoacoustic tomography. It enables easy comparisons between regularisers with different properties, e.g. nonlinear, higher-order or directional. We solve the underlying minimisation problem with an efficient first-order primal-dual algorithm. Convergence rates are optimised by choosing an operator dependent preconditioning strategy. Our reconstruction methods are tested on challenging 2D synthetic and experimental data sets. They outperform direct reconstruction approaches for strong noise levels and limited angle measurements, offering immediate benefits in terms of acquisition time and quality. This work provides a basic platform for the investigation of future advanced regularisation methods in photoacoustic tomography.

math.NA↗

arXiv2015

A method for delineation of bone surfaces in photoacoustic computed tomography of the finger

Photoacoustic imaging of interphalangeal peripheral joints is of interest in the context of using the synovial membrane as a surrogate marker of rheumatoid arthritis. Previous work has shown that ultrasound produced by absorption of light at the epidermis reflects on the bone surfaces within the finger. When the reflected signals are backprojected in the region of interest, artifacts are produced, confounding interpretation of the images. In this work, we present an approach where the photoacoustic signals known to originate from the epidermis, are treated as virtual ultrasound transmitters, and a separate reconstruction is performed as in ultrasound reflection imaging. This allows us to identify the bone surfaces. Further, the identification of the joint space is important as this provides a landmark to localize a region-of-interest in seeking the inflamed synovial membrane. The ability to delineate bone surfaces allows us not only to identify the artifacts, but also to identify the interphalangeal joint space without recourse to new US hardware or a new measurement. We test the approach on phantoms and on a healthy human finger.

physics.med-ph↗

arXiv2014

Initial results of finger imaging using Photoacoustic Computed Tomography

We present a photoacoustic computed tomography investigation on a healthy human finger, to image blood vessels with a focus on vascularity across the interphalangeal joints. The cross-sectional images were acquired using an imager specifically developed for this purpose. The images show rich detail of the digital blood vessels with diameters between 100 $μ$m and 1.5 mm in various orientations and at various depths. Different vascular layers in the skin including the subpapillary plexus could also be visualized. Acoustic reflections on the finger bone of photoacoustic signals from skin were visible in sequential slice images along the finger except at the location of the joint gaps. Not unexpectedly, the healthy synovial membrane at the joint gaps was not detected due to its small size and normal vascularization. Future research will concentrate on studying digits afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis to detect the inflamed synovium with its heightened vascularization, whose characteristics are potential markers for disease activity.

physics.med-ph↗

arXiv2013

A new acoustic lens material for large area detectors in photoacoustic breast tomography

Acoustic lenses made of acrylic plastic (PMMA) have been used to enlarge the acceptance angle of sensitive large surface area detectors and improve lateral resolution. However, PMMA lenses introduce image artifacts due to ultrasound internal reflections within the lenses. In this work we investigated this issue proposing a new lens material Stycast 1090SI. We characterized the acoustic properties of the proposed material in comparison with PMMA. Detector performance using negative lenses with the two materials, was tested using finite element simulation and experiment. Further the image quality of a photoacoustic tomography system was studied using k-Wave simulation and experiment. Our acoustic characterization showed that Stycast 1090SI has tissue-like acoustic impedance, high speed of sound and low acoustic attenuation. Both acoustic lenses show significant enlargement of detector acceptance angle and lateral resolution improvement. However, image artifacts induced by acoustic lenses are reduced using the proposed lens compared to PMMA lens.

physics.med-ph↗

arXiv2013

An optimized ultrasound detector for photoacoustic breast tomography

Photoacoustic imaging has proven to be able to detect vascularization-driven optical absorption contrast associated with tumors. In order to detect breast tumors located a few centimeter deep in tissue, a sensitive ultrasound detector is of crucial importance for photoacoustic mammography. Further, because the expected photoacoustic frequency bandwidth (a few MHz to tens of kHz) is inversely proportional to the dimensions of light absorbing structures (0.5 to 10+ mm), proper choices of materials and their geometries, and proper considerations in design have to be made for optimal photoacoustic detectors. In this study, we design and evaluate a specialized ultrasound detector for photoacoustic mammography. Based on the required detector sensitivity and its frequency response, a selection of active material and matching layers and their geometries is made leading to a functional detector models. By iteration between simulation of detector performances, fabrication and experimental characterization of functional models an optimized implementation is made and evaluated. The experimental results of the designed first and second functional detectors matched with the simulations. In subsequent bare piezoelectric samples the effect of lateral resonances was addressed and their influence minimized by sub-dicing the samples. Consequently, using simulations, the final optimized detector could be designed, with a center frequency of 1 MHz and a -6 dB bandwidth of ~80%. The minimum detectable pressure was measured to be 0.5 Pa, which will facilitate deeper imaging compared to the currrent systems. The detector should be capable of detecting vascularized tumors with resolution of 1-2 mm. Further improvements by proper electrical grounding and shielding and implementation of this design into an arrayed detector will pave the way for clinical applications of photoacoustic mammography.

physics.med-ph↗

arXiv2012

Speed-of-sound compensated photoacoustic tomography for accurate imaging

In most photoacoustic (PA) measurements, variations in speed-of-sound (SOS) of the subject are neglected under the assumption of acoustic homogeneity. Biological tissue with spatially heterogeneous SOS cannot be accurately reconstructed under this assumption. We present experimental and image reconstruction methods with which 2-D SOS distributions can be accurately acquired and reconstructed, and with which the SOS map can be used subsequently to reconstruct highly accurate PA tomograms. We begin with a 2-D iterative reconstruction approach in an ultrasound transmission tomography (UTT) setting, which uses ray refracted paths instead of straight ray paths to recover accurate SOS images of the subject. Subsequently, we use the SOS distribution in a new 2-D iterative approach, where refraction of rays originating from PA sources are accounted for in accurately retrieving the distribution of these sources. Both the SOS reconstruction and SOS-compensated PA reconstruction methods utilize the Eikonal equation to model acoustic wavefront propagation, which is solved using a high accuracy fast marching method (HAFMM). We validate the new reconstruction algorithms using numerical phantoms. For experiments we use the PER-PACT method which can be used to simultaneously acquire SOS and PA data from subjects. We test the reconstruction algorithms using experimental data acquired with the PER-PACT setup from challenging physical phantoms. The results show that it is important to take SOS inhomogeneities into account. The iterative reconstruction algorithms, that model acoustic refractive effects, yield artifact-free highly accurate images. Our approach of using the hybrid measurement method and the new reconstruction algorithms, is successful in substantially improving the quality of PA images with a minimization of blurring and artefacts.

physics.med-ph↗

arXiv2012

Towards quantitative tissue absorption imaging by combining photoacoustics and acousto-optics

We propose a strategy for quantitative photoacoustic mapping of chromophore concentrations that can be performed purely experimentally. We exploit the possibility of acousto-optic modulation using focused ultrasound, and the principle that photons follow trajectories through a turbid medium in two directions with equal probability. A theory is presented that expresses the local absorption coefficient inside a medium in terms of noninvasively measured quantities and experimental parameters. Proof of the validity of the theory is given with Monte Carlo simulations.

physics.optics↗