Photoacoustic tomography: Deep functional imaging at high spatiotemporal resolution

Abstract

Photoacoustic tomography (PAT), combining optical and ultrasonic waves via the photoacoustic effect, provides in vivo functional, metabolic, molecular, and histologic imaging. PAT has the unique strength of high-resolution imaging across the length scales of organelles, cells, tissues, and organs with consistent contrast. PAT has the potential to empower multiscale biology research and accelerate translation from microscopic laboratory discoveries to macroscopic clinical practice. PAT can image the entire brain of a rat or mouse with optical contrast in vivo. Broad applications include imaging of the breast, brain, skin, esophagus, colon, vascular system, and lymphatic system in both humans and animals.

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