Photoacoustic Tomography of the Brain

Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) is an emerging hybrid imaging technique with great potential for a wide range of brain imaging applications. A unique feature of PAT is the capability of sensing optical contrasts ultrasonically. Because of the low ultrasonic scattering in tissue, PAT generates high resolution images in both the ballistic and diffusive regimes. With a rich choice of endogenous and exogenous optical contrasts, PAT can provide neurovascular, structural, functional, and molecular brain images at multiple spatial scales. In this chapter, we review the principles and imaging capability of various photoacoustic brain tomography systems and highlight studies published in the past few years.