This study explored the imaging capability of our frequency-domain photoacoustic (FD-PA) system that utilizes correlation processing alias “photoacoustic radar” and ultrasonic phased array for imaging of soft tissues. The probe imaging capabilities were studied using tissue-mimicking phantoms, tissue samples ex vivo, blood vessels in a human wrist and a rat tumour model in vivo. Our experimental results have shown decent image correlation between our FD-PA and a clinical ultrasound modality. In comparison with ultrasound, we have also demonstrated strong potential of the FD-PA for deep (~15 mm) subsurface imaging with excellent contrast and high signal-to-noise ratio. Additionally, we assessed the potential of silica-coated super paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) as a novel PA contrast agent. Detection of the nanoparticles up to 24 mm inside an optically tissue-like turbid media and about 5-fold PA signal amplification due to their presence in sheep blood (~1.4 mg/ml) are presented.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TORONTO/oai:tspace.library.utoronto.ca:1807/33321 |
| Date | 20 November 2012 |
| Creators | Alwi, Rudolf |
| Contributors | Mandelis, Andreas |
| Source Sets | University of Toronto |
| Language | en_ca |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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