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Ultrasonically Encoded Photoacoustic Flowgraphy in Biological Tissue

Lidai Wang, Jun Xia, Junjie Yao, Konstantin I. Maslov, and Lihong V. Wang
Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 204301 – Published 12 November 2013
Physics logo See Synopsis: Going with the Flow
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Abstract

Blood flow speed is an important functional parameter. Doppler ultrasound flowmetry lacks sufficient sensitivity to slow blood flow (several to tens of millimeters per second) in deep tissue. To address this challenge, we developed ultrasonically encoded photoacoustic flowgraphy combining ultrasonic thermal tagging with photoacoustic imaging. Focused ultrasound generates a confined heat source in acoustically absorptive fluid. Thermal waves propagate with the flow and are directly visualized in pseudo color using photoacoustic computed tomography. The Doppler shift is employed to calculate the flow speed. This method requires only acoustic and optical absorption, and thus is applicable to continuous fluid. A blood flow speed as low as 0.24mm·s1 was successfully measured. Deep blood flow imaging was experimentally demonstrated under 5-mm-thick chicken breast tissue.

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  • Received 8 July 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.204301

© 2013 American Physical Society

Synopsis

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Going with the Flow

Published 12 November 2013

Locally heating blood with ultrasound lets researchers track its motion with laser probes even when the fluid is moving slowly.

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Authors & Affiliations

Lidai Wang, Jun Xia, Junjie Yao, Konstantin I. Maslov, and Lihong V. Wang*

  • Department of Biomedical Engineering, Optical Imaging Laboratory, Washington University in Saint Louis Campus Box 1097, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, Missouri 63130-4899, USA

  • *Corresponding author. lhwang@wustl.edu

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Issue

Vol. 111, Iss. 20 — 15 November 2013

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