Objective-free optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy

J Biomed Opt. 2013 Jan;18(1):10501. doi: 10.1117/1.JBO.18.1.010501.

Abstract

Optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy (OR-PAM) becomes a premier microscopic imaging tool in biomedicine because it provides agent-free optical absorption information in tissues. By tightly focusing light to a spot, a significantly improved lateral resolution can be achieved in OR-PAM. The focal spot size is typically determined by the numerical aperture of the used objective lens. Here, we demonstrate objective-free OR-PAM using a fiber optic Bessel beam generator. In this approach, no objective lens is required and, beneficially, the complexities of conventional OR-PAM systems can be greatly relieved. We have obtained photoacoustic images of a carbon fiber with a diameter of ∼6 μm, whose lateral resolution was measured to be better than 6 to 7 μm.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Carbon / chemistry
  • Fiber Optic Technology / instrumentation*
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Microscopy, Acoustic / instrumentation
  • Microscopy, Acoustic / methods*
  • Photoacoustic Techniques / instrumentation
  • Photoacoustic Techniques / methods*
  • Water / chemistry

Substances

  • Water
  • Carbon