Elevation resolution enhancement in 3D photoacoustic imaging using FDMAS beamforming

Photoacoustic imaging is a non-invasive and non-ionizing imaging technique that combines the spectral selectivity of laser excitation with the high resolution of ultrasound imaging. It is possible to identity the vascular structure of the cancerous tissue using this imaging modality. However, elevation and lateral resolution of photoacoustic imaging is usually poor for imaging target. In this study, three dimension filter delay multiply and sum beamforming technique (FDMAS(3D)) is used to improve the resolution and enhance the signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the 3D photoacoustic image that is created by using linear array transducer. This beamforming technique showed improvement in the elevation by 36% when its compared with three dimension delay and sum beamforming technique (DAS(3D)). In addition, it enhanced the SNR by 13 dB compared with DAS (3D). © 2017, IEEE. This is an author produced version of a paper published in IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other users, including reprinting/ republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted components of this work in other works. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy.