Work

Dual-wavelength, nanosecond, miniature Raman laser enables efficient photoacoustic differentiation of water and lipid

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Functional photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) requires laser sources with multiple wavelengths targeting abundant substances, where lipid and water are important components of living organisms. Here, we propose to use a single compact dual-wavelength passively Q-switched solid-state laser as the excitation source to directly achieve PA differentiation of water and lipid simultaneously. The main contribution of our work is to use the excitation difference under 1064- and 1176-nm lasers for mapping water and lipid in PAM, respectively. Meanwhile, the miniature structure (cavity size: ∼10 × 10 × 5.5 mm3) of the laser source is not only promising for portable applications but also benefits the PA-desired nanosecond (<2 ns) laser pulse establishment. Our technique is confirmed by efficient PA imaging of water and lipid in biological tissues at high spatial resolution and improved sensitivity. This laser provides a novel and low-cost imaging source for PAM to track changes in water and lipid distribution.

Source: APL Photonics

DOI: 10.1063/5.0216255