In this study, we reported a photoacoustic (PA) imaging system for whole-breast imaging. Similar to the traditional X-ray mammography, this system slightly compressed the breast by a water tank. The PA signal is acquired via scanning a long unfocused ultrasonic linear array probe over the breast top surface, and the expanded high-energy laser pulses illuminate the breast bottom through a transparent supporting plate. Scanning the unfocused transducer probe is equivalent to a synthetic two-dimensional (2D) matrix array, which significantly increased the field of view (FOV) via a much easier way and at a much lower cost. Our phantom results demonstrated that this system has a great potential for clinical implementation.

在这项研究中，我们报告了用于全乳腺成像的光声（PA）成像系统。类似于传统的X射线乳腺摄影，该系统通过水箱稍微压迫乳房。通过在乳房顶部表面上扫描一个长的未聚焦超声线性阵列探头来获取PA信号，并且扩展的高能激光脉冲通过透明的支撑板照亮了乳房底部。扫描未聚焦的换能器探头等效于合成的二维（2D）矩阵阵列，该阵列通过一种更容易的方式和更低的成本显着增加了视场（FOV）。我们的幻象结果表明，该系统具有很大的临床应用潜力。