Panoramic volumetric clinical handheld photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging

Photoacoustic (PA) imaging has gained much attention, providing structural and functional information in combination with clinical ultrasound (US) imaging systems. 2D PA and US imaging is easily implemented, but its heavy dependence on operator skills makes 3D imaging preferable. In this study, we propose a panoramic volumetric clinical PA and US imaging system equipping a handheld imaging scanner weighing 600 g and measuring 70 × 62 × 110 mm3. Multiple PA/US scans were performed to cover a large field-of-view (FOV), and the acquired PA/US volumes were mosaic-stitched after manually correcting the positions and rotations in a total of 6 degrees of freedom. PA and US maximum amplitude projection images were visualized online, while spectral unmixed data was quantified offline. The performance of the system was tested via tissue-mimicking phantom experiments. The system’s potential was confirmed in vivo by panoramically imaging vascular networks in human arms and necks, with FOVs of 331 × 38 and 129 × 120 mm2, respectively. Further, we quantified hemoglobin oxygen saturation levels in the radial artery, brachial artery, carotid artery, and jugular vein. We hope that this system can be applied for various clinical fields such as cardiovascular imaging, dermatology, vascular surgery, internal medicine, and oncology.