Method and system for context-aware photoacoustic imaging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12569142-B2
Application number	US-202118004689-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2021
Priority date	Jul 15, 2020
Publication date	Mar 10, 2026
Grant date	Mar 10, 2026

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a method and apparatus for photoacoustic imaging (PAI) or ultrasound (US) imaging of biological tissue ( 18 ). The method comprises recording 2D-PAI and/or US images ( 46 ) of said biological tissue ( 18 ), each 2D-PAI or US image ( 46 ) being associated with a corresponding image plane ( 38 ), providing, prior to recording said 2D-PAI or US images ( 46 ) of said biological tissue ( 18 ), an optical pattern ( 28, 40 ) on or close to a surface of said biological tissue, said optical pattern ( 28, 40 ) comprising one or more optical dyes configured for absorbing light at a pattern-characteristic wavelength. The optical pattern ( 28, 40 ) is configured such that the location of the image plane ( 38 ) with respect to the optical pattern ( 28, 40 ) can be determined at least approximately from said representation of the optical pattern ( 28, 40 ) in said 2D-PAI image ( 46 ) and/or that the relative location of consecutively taken 2D-PAI images ( 46 ) with respect to each other can be at least approximately determined.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of photoacoustic imaging (PAI) or ultrasound (US) imaging of biological tissue, said method comprising:
recording one or both of two-dimensional (2D)-PAI and/or US images of said biological tissue, each of said 2D-PAI or US image being associated with a corresponding image plane, wherein said method further comprises providing, prior to recording said 2D-PAI or US images of said biological tissue, an optical pattern on or close to a surface of said biological tissue, said optical pattern comprising one or more optical dyes configured for absorbing light at a pattern-characteristic wavelength, and wherein said 2D-PAI images are recorded using pattern-imaging light pulses having a-said pattern-characteristic wavelength for which the absorption by said one or more dyes is sufficiently high such that said optical pattern is visibly represented in said 2D-PAI images, wherein said optical pattern is configured such that a location of said image plane with respect to said optical pattern can be determined from a representation of said optical pattern in said 2D-PAI image or such that a relative location of the respective image planes of consecutively recorded 2D-PAI images with respect to each other can be determined, or both, wherein said method further comprises determining one or both of
said location of said image plane of each given 2D-PAI or US image among said recorded 2D-PAI and/or US images of said biological tissue with respect to said optical pattern, and
said relative location of the respective image planes of consecutively recorded 2D-PAI or US images among said recorded 2D-PAI and/or US images
from said representation of said optical pattern in said given 2D-PAI images, or in one or more 2D-PAI images recorded while a PAI probe is in a same position or a position close to the position in which said given 2D-PAI or US image(s) of said biological tissue is recorded.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein recording said 2D-PAI images of said biological tissue comprises
irradiating tissue-imaging light pulses into said biological tissue using said PAI probe, said tissue-imaging light pulses having tissue-characteristic wavelengths to be absorbed in said biological tissue, receiving pressure waves generated upon absorption of said tissue-imaging light pulses in said biological tissue using said PAI probe and converting said received pressure waves into electrical signals, and constructing said 2D-PAI images from said electrical signals, said 2D-PAI images representing a space-resolved absorption of said tissue imaging-light pulses in a sectional image plane within said biological tissue.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein an absorptivity of the of the one or more dyes at said pattern-characteristic wavelength is at least a factor of two higher than at said tissue-characteristic wavelengths.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said determined location of the image plane of said given 2D-PAI/US image among said recorded 2D-PAI and/or US images is used for one or more of
constructing a three-dimensional (3D) image from a plurality of 2D-PAI/US images among said recorded 2D-PAI and/or US images, targeting a specific anatomical location at a first point in time and re-targeting said specific anatomical location at a second point in time different from said first point in time, and registering said given 2D-PAI/US image among said recorded 2D-PAI and/or US images with imaging data obtained with another imaging modality.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said optical pattern extends in at least one two-dimensional pattern plane, wherein said determining the location of the image plane of each said given 2D-PAI/US image among said recorded 2D-PAI and/or US images of said biological tissue with respect to said optical pattern comprises determining a sectional line along which said image plane of said given 2D-PAI/US image and said two-dimensional pattern plane intersect with each other.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein said PAI probe is placed on the surface of said biological tissue such that a corresponding 2D-PAI/US image plane is perpendicular to said two-dimensional pattern plane.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said optical pattern has a three-dimensional structure, extending in at least one two-dimensional pattern plane and additionally in a thickness direction perpendicular to said two-dimensional pattern plane, wherein said determining the location of the image plane of each said given 2D-PAI/US image among said recorded 2D-PAI and/or US images of said biological tissue with respect to said optical pattern amounts to determining a sectional plane along which said image plane of said given 2D-PAI/US image and said three-dimensional structure intersect with each other.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein said optical pattern extends in two or more two-dimensional pattern planes, which are spaced from each other in thickness direction, wherein said determining the location of the image plane of each said given 2D-PAI/US image among said recorded 2D-PAI and/or US images of said biological tissue with respect to said optical pattern comprises determining a sectional line along which said image plane of said given 2D-PAI/US image and one of said two or more two-dimensional pattern planes intersect with each other, as well as a step of determining an angle between said one of the two or more two-dimensional pattern plane and said image plane of said given 2D-PAI/US image of said biological tissue based on at least one other of said two or more two dimensional pattern planes.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said optical pattern comprises three or more lines generally extending along an extension direction, but also diverging in said extension direction.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein said recording 2D-PAI/US images comprises moving said PAI probe along said extension direction and recording said 2D-PAI/US images at different positions along said extension direction.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein said step of determining the location of the image plane of each said given 2D-PAI/US image among said recorded 2D-PAI and/or US images of said biological tissue with respect to said optical pattern comprises determining a position along said extension direction based on distances between representations of said three or more lines, and in particular based on a sum or an average of said distances between representations of said three or more lines in said given 2D-PAI image among said recorded 2D-PAI images, or in the one or more 2D-PAI images recorded while said PAI probe is in the same position or a position close to the position in which said given 2D-PAI/US image among said recorded 2D-PAI and/or US images of said biological tissue is recorded.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising a step of determining an angle between said extension direction and a sectional line of the image plane with a pattern plane in which said three or more lines are arranged, based on distances between presentations of said three or more lines, and in particular based on a difference or quotient of distances between representations of said three or more lines in said given 2D-PAI image among said recorded 2D-PAI images, or in the one or more 2D-PAI images recorded while said PAI probe is in the same position or a position close to the position in which said given 2D-PAI/US image among said recorded 2D-PAI and/or US images of said biological tissue is recorded.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein said optical pattern is provided on or in a foil or a cushion or pad to be placed on top of said biologi

Assignees

• Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum Stiftung Des Oeffentlichen Rechts

Inventors

• Holzwarth Niklas
• Dreher Kris
• Schellenberg Melanie
• Nölke Jan-Hinrich
• Gröhl Janek
• Maier-Hein Lena

Classifications

• A61B8/4416

  related to combined acquisition of different diagnostic modalities, e.g. combination of ultrasound and X-ray acquisitions · CPC title

• A61B8/0891

  for diagnosis of blood vessels · CPC title

• A61B2560/0431

  Portable apparatus, e.g. comprising a handle or case · CPC title

• A61B2560/0228

  using calibration standards · CPC title

• A61B8/00

  Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves · CPC title