title: Automatic sound speed selection in photoacoustic image reconstruction using an autofocus approach.
abstract: The reconstruction of images in photoacoustic tomography is reliant on specifying the speed of sound within the propagation medium. However, for in vivo imaging, this value is not normally accurately known. Here, an autofocus approach for automatically selecting the sound speed is proposed. This is based on maximizing the sharpness of the reconstructed image as quantified by a focus function. Several focus functions are investigated, and their performance is discussed. The method is demonstrated using phantom measurements made in a medium with a known sound speed and in vivo measurements of the vasculature in the flank of an adult mouse.
authors.affiliation: Australian National University, Research School of Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Building 115, North Road, Canberra, ACT 0200 Australia. bradley.treeby@anu
authors.forename: Bradley E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Treeby
authors.forename: Trond K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Varslot
authors.forename: Edward Z
authors.initials: EZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jan G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Laufer
authors.forename: Paul C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Beard
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D061088:Photoacoustic Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D014054:Tomography / Q000379:methods*