Optoacoustic endoscopy with curved scanning

The optoacoustic (photoacoustic) technique has been shown to resolve anatomical, functional, and molecular features at depths that go beyond the reach of epi-illumination optical microscopy, offering new opportunities for endoscopic imaging. In this Letter, we investigate the merits of optoacoustic endoscopy implemented by translating a sound detector in linear or curved geometries. The linear and curved detection geometries are achieved by employing an intravascular ultrasound transducer within a plastic guide shaped to a line or a curve. This concept could be used together with optical endoscopes to yield hybrid optical and optoacoustic imaging.