Evaluation of image reconstruction algorithms for quantitative photoacoustic tomography based on limited view data

Three-dimensional quantitative photoacoustic tomography (3D-QPAT) aims to recover tissue chromophore concentrations from multispectral images but is often hampered by the unknown light fluence and the transfer function of the scanner. Inversion schemes that use hybrid light transport and acoustic propagation models may be used to address this challenge. While model-based inversions have shown promising results in in silico and tissue phantom studies, limitations in accuracy arose from limited view artefacts. This study evaluated reconstruction methods such as time-reversal, maximum a posteriori, iterative least square and total variation to improve the accuracy of 3D-QPAT inversion techniques.