Multi-optical-wavelength ultrasound-modulated optical tomography: a phantom study

We used multiple optical wavelengths to study ultrasound-modulated optical tomography (UOT) in tissue phantoms. By using intense acoustic bursts and a CCD camera-based speckle contrast detection technique, we observed variations of the ultrasound-modulated signal at various optical absorptions. The experimental variations were found to be highly correlated with predictions from Monte Carlo simulations. By irradiating the sample at two optical wavelengths, we quantitatively estimated the total concentration and the concentration ratio of double dyes in objects embedded in tissue phantoms. The results suggest that UOT can potentially provide noninvasive functional imaging of the total concentration and oxygen saturation of hemoglobin in biological tissue.