Direct Model-Based Inversion for Improved Freehand Optical Ultrasound Imaging

Optical ultrasound imaging uses light to both generate and detect pulse-echo ultrasound. Recently, we presented a fibre-optic optical ultrasound imaging probe comprising 64 sources and a single receiver that allowed for video-rate, freehand imaging. However, its low number of sources limited the image contrast when using Delay-and-Sum reconstruction. Here, we present an alternative image formation paradigm for optical ultrasound based on model-based inversion, where the low number of sources allows for direct (i.e., non-iterative) inversion under modest hardware requirements. The model accurately incorporates the aperture geometry, frequency-dependent source directivity, and performance variation across the aperture, thereby reducing image artefacts associated with these properties. The method achieves a 15 dB gain in image contrast compared to Delay-and-Sum, at a similar image formation time.