Fast Photoacoustic Imaging Based on an Annular Transducer Array

A fast photoacoustic imaging system is constructed for imaging the structure of biological tissues based on an annular transducer array in the paper. It applied an annular transducer array to collect the photoacoustic signals and an eight-channel data acquisition system to capture the signals. A limited-view filtered back projection algorithm was used to reconstruct the photoacoustic images. Pencil rods buried in gelatin are used to testify the imaging resolution. In vitro pig's eye and in vivo blood vessels of rat head were used to testify the imaging capability of this system. The experimental results demonstrated this system can fast and conveniently image the structure of the biological tissues and holds the potential for clinic detection of the early breast cancer.