title: Real-time handheld optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy.
abstract: In this paper a new generation of optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy (OR-PAM) with a wide range of potential clinical applications is demonstrated. Using fast scanning mirrors, an image guide with 30,000 fiber pixels, a refocusing lens and a unique probe we managed to reduce the footprint of an OR-PAM system from a stationary table-top system to a portable, 4 cm by 6 cm, probe weighing ~500 g tethered to a scanning unit. The phantom studies show that the handheld optical-resolution photoacoustic microscope is able to image with ~7 μm resolution. For in vivo studies images of the microvasculature in a Swiss Webster mouse ear are shown. The compact, flexible nature of the proposed design and the small footprint of the apparatus increase the usability of OR-PAM for potential clinical applications such as in dermatology.
authors: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2V, Canada.
authors: Parsin
authors: P
authors: Hajireza
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Shi
authors: Roger J
authors: RJ
authors: Zemp
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D003880:Dermatology / Q000379:methods*; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D006197:Hair / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers; D007909:Lenses; D051379:Mice; D033401:Microscopy, Acoustic / Q000379:methods*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / Q000379:methods; D016011:Normal Distribution; D055095:Optics and Photonics; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging