Photoacoustic Imaging

Method

This method is a combination of optical imaging by high-resolution ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging (PAI). The photoacoustic imaging facilitates the analysis of structures which are normally not visible by using their natural luminescence abilities or fluorescent contrast agents.

For photoacoustic imaging, tissue is stimulated by a nanosecond laser pulse. The resulting thermoelastic expansion generates a sound wave, which can be detected by the transducer. The resulting image shows the optical absorption contrast of the tissue.

By using the Vevo LAZR-X photoacoustic imaging system (VisualSonics), the Animal Phenotpying Platform offers a state-of-the-art device for a broad scientific field of application.