LED-Based Photoacoustic and Ultrasound Imaging System for Guiding Minimally Invasive Procedures with Peripheral Tissue Targets

Precise and efficient guidance is of paramount importance for minimally invasive procedures. Ultrasound (US) imaging is commonly used in clinics for this purpose, but the visualization of medical needles and tissue targets is often challenging in several applications. Photoacoustic imaging holds potential in guiding minimally invasive procedures, but clinical translation of this technology has often been hindered by bulky and expensive excitation sources. In this work, the potential of a portable, dual-modality LED-based photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging system to guide minimally invasive procedures is investigated using phantom studies and in vivo measurements on human volunteers. Results give a direct confirmation that the LED-based system holds strong potential in guiding minimally invasive targets with peripheral tissue targets.