title: Model-based optoacoustic image reconstruction of large three-dimensional tomographic datasets acquired with an array of directional detectors.
abstract: Image quality in 3-D optoacoustic (photoacoustic) tomography is greatly influenced by both the measurement system, in particular the number and spatial arrangement of ultrasound sensors, and the ability to account for the spatio-temporal response of the sensor element(s) in the reconstruction algorithm. Herein we present a reconstruction procedure based on the inversion of a time-domain forward model incorporating the spatial impulse response due to the shape of the transducer, which is subsequently applied in a tomographic system based on a translation-rotation scan of a linear detector array. The proposed method was also adapted to cope with the data-intensive requirements of high-resolution volumetric optoacoustic imaging. The processing of 2 · 10 (4) individual signals resulted in well-resolved images of both ~ 200 μm absorbers in phantoms and complex vascular structures in biological tissue. The results reported herein demonstrate that the introduced model-based methodology exhibits a better contrast and resolution than standard back-projection and model-based algorithms that assume point detectors. Moreover, the capability of handling large datasets anticipates that model-based methods incorporating the sensor properties can become standard practice in volumetric opto acoustic image formation.
authors.forename: Miguel Angel
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Araque Caballero
authors.forename: Jerome
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gateau
authors.forename: Xose-Luis
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Dean-Ben
authors.forename: Vasilis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ntziachristos
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D005528:Foot / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D061088:Photoacoustic Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014159:Transducers