Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) and thermoacoustic tomography (TAT) both leverage acoustic signals generated by electromagnetic absorption to noninvasively image deep tissues. PAT operates by detecting optical absorption, whereas TAT targets radiofrequency (RF) absorption, providing complementary information on tissue composition and structure. Combining these modalities into a single system promises richer contrast but remains difficult due to the expense and complexity of the RF source. Here, we show that PAT can be integrated with a low-cost RF heater and used to image both optical and RF absorption in tissue phantoms. RF Heating-Enhanced Photoacoustic Tomography (HEPAT) maps RF absorption via temperature-dependent changes in thermomechanical properties, which enables the use of slow, inexpensive RF subsystems and provides an additional layer of contrast. HEPAT therefore provides distinct, complementary contrast relative to existing photoacoustic imaging systems, expanding specificity and diagnostic power while opening new avenues for studying temperature-related tissue phenomena.
Source: Optics Letters
DOI: 10.1364/ol.590278
Authors: Skyler P. Selvin, Xuanhao Wang, Handi Deng, Bohua Chen, Cheng Ma
Institutions: Tsinghua University, McGovern Institute for Brain Research
Language: English
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7128438330