Photoacoustic imaging with rotational compounding for improved signal detection

Photoacoustic microscopy with linear array transducers enables fast two-dimensional, cross-sectional photoacoustic imaging. Unfortunately, most ultrasound transducers are only sensitive to a very narrow angular acceptance range and preferentially detect signals along the main axis of the transducer. This often limits photoacoustic microscopy from detecting blood vessels which can extend in any direction. Rotational compounded photoacoustic imaging is introduced to overcome the angular-dependency of detecting acoustic signals with linear array transducers. An integrate system is designed to control the image acquisition using a linear array transducer, a motorized rotational stage, and a motorized lateral stage. Images acquired at multiple angular positions are combined to form a rotational compounded image. We found that the signal-to-noise ratio improved, while the sidelobe and reverberation artifacts were substantially reduced. Furthermore, the rotational compounded images of excised kidneys and hindlimb tumors of mice showed more structural information compared with any single image collected.