title: Thermoacoustic computed tomography using a conventional linear transducer array.
abstract: We report on methodology for employing a conventional linear transducer array as a thermoacoustic detector in a thermoacoustic computed tomography (TCT) device, which has been designed for imaging small animals, e.g., athymic nude mice. We tested this concept using a 5 MHz, 128-element linear array (Acuson model L538). Thermoacoustic emissions were induced in a tissue-mimicking phantom using a Nd:YAg laser, operated at 1064 nm. Two-dimensional, axial "slice" images were formed using a filtered-backprojection algorithm. In-plane spatial resolution was measured as better than 200 microns with a slice thickness of 1.5 mm (full width at half maximum). The same detector, when operated as a conventional phased array, produced conventional ultrasound images in perfect registration with the TCT images.
authors.affiliation: OptoSonics, Inc., 7210 Georgetown Road, Suite 400, Indianapolis, Indiana 46278, USA. rkruger@optosonics.com
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Kruger
authors.forename: William L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Kiser
authors.forename: Daniel R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Reinecke
authors.forename: Gabe A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Kruger
mesh_terms: D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014159:Transducers