title: Acceleration of optoacoustic model-based reconstruction using angular image discretization.
abstract: Optoacoustic tomography has recently demonstrated powerful performance in small animal imaging and initial clinical trials in terms of the high spatial resolution, versatile contrast, and dynamic imaging capabilities it can provide. Yet, the current optoacoustic image reconstruction methods are usually based on inaccurate forward modelling approaches or otherwise demand a high computational cost, which imposes certain practical limitations and hinders image quantification. Herein, we introduce a new method for accelerating optoacoustic reconstructions, based on angular image discretization of the forward model solution. The method is particularly suitable for accurate image reconstruction with arbitrary meshes and space-dependent resolution, while it can also readily account for small speed of sound variations without compromising the calculation speed. It is further anticipated that the new approach will greatly facilitate development of high performance 3-D optoacoustic reconstruction methods.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biological and Medical Imaging, Technical University of Munich and Helmholtz Center Munich, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: X Luís
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Dean-Ben
authors.forename: Vasilis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ntziachristos
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Razansky
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D003198:Computer Simulation; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D007668:Kidney / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D051379:Mice; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D061088:Photoacoustic Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D014054:Tomography / Q000379:methods*