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SUMMARY:Biomedical photoacoustic imaging for the clinical and life science
 s - Professor Paul Beard\,Department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering
 \, University College London
DTSTART:20140613T130000Z
DTEND:20140613T140000Z
UID:TALK52065@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr Eileen Nugent
DESCRIPTION:Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is a new biomedical imaging modalit
 y based on the use of laser-generated ultrasound that has emerged over the
  last decade. It is a hybrid technique that combines the high contrast and
  spectroscopic-based specificity of optical imaging with the high spatial 
 resolution available to ultrasound. In essence\, a PA image can be regarde
 d as an ultrasound image in which the contrast depends on optical absorpti
 on. As a consequence\, it offers greater specificity than ultrasound with 
 the ability to detect haemoglobin\, lipids\, water and other light-absorbi
 ng chromophores\, but with higher penetration depth than purely optical im
 aging modalities such as multiphoton microscopy that rely on ballistic pho
 tons. As well as visualizing anatomical structures such as the microvascul
 ature\, it can also provide functional information in the form of blood ox
 ygenation\, blood flow and temperature. All of this can be achieved over a
  range of length scales from microns to centimetres with scalable spatial 
 resolution. These attributes lend PA imaging to a wide range of applicatio
 ns in clinical medicine\, preclinical research and biology for studying ca
 ncer\, cardiovascular disease\, abnormalities of the microcirculation and 
 other conditions. With the emergence of a variety of truly compelling in v
 ivo images obtained by a number of groups around the world in the last 2
 –3 years\, the technique has come of age and the promise of PA imaging i
 s now beginning to be realized. This talk will describe the underlying phy
 sical principles of photoacoustic signal transduction and image reconstruc
 tion\, a new type of photoacoustic scanner based upon optical ultrasound d
 etection and a range of in vivo preclinical cancer imaging studies that ex
 ploit endogenous and genetically encoded contrast.
LOCATION:Small Lecture Theatre\, Cavendish Laboratory
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