System and method for providing selective channel sensitivity in an optoacoustic imaging system

Abstract

A method for controlling an optoacoustic imaging system includes the steps of analyzing sinogram data values to identify variations, storing information concerning the variations, generating first and second sinograms, and processing the sinograms to mitigate the effect of the variations. In the analyzing step, sinogram data values are analyzed to identify one or more variations that are related to performance of one or more of the discrete components of the optoacoustic imaging system. The identified variations are then stored. A first sinogram is generated by sampling transducer elements acoustically coupled with a surface of a volume for a predetermined period of time after delivery of a pulse of light having a first wavelength, the first sinogram containing one channel for each of the transducer elements. A second sinogram is generated by sampling the transducer elements acoustically coupled with the surface of the volume for the predetermined period of time after delivery of a pulse of light having a second wavelength, the second sinogram containing one channel for each of transducer elements. The first and second sinograms are processed using the stored information to mitigate the effect of the identified variations on the respective sinogram.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for controlling an optoacoustic imaging system comprising discrete components to produce at least one optoacoustic image corrected for variations in discrete components, comprising:
 analyzing sinogram data values to identify one or more variations that are related to performance of one or more of the discrete components of the optoacoustic imaging system;   storing information concerning the one or more identified variations;   generating a first sinogram by sampling a plurality of transducer elements acoustically coupled with a surface of a volume for a predetermined period of time after a pulse of light having a first wavelength, the first sinogram containing one channel for each of the plurality of transducer elements;   generating a second sinogram by sampling the plurality of transducer elements acoustically coupled with the surface of a volume for the predetermined period of time after a pulse of light having a second wavelength, the second sinogram containing one channel for each of the plurality of transducer elements; and   processing the first and second sinograms using the stored information to mitigate the effect of the one or more identified variations on the respective sinogram.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more identified variations is associated with a channel. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a plurality of amplifiers are used to amplify analog signals output by each of the plurality of transducer elements,   at least two of the plurality of transducer elements are associated with each one of the plurality of amplifiers, and   wherein at least one of the one or more identified variations is associated with an amplifier.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 reconstructing an optoacoustic image based upon the information in each of the processed first and second sinograms; and   outputting the optoacoustic image.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 generating a first and second complex-valued array comprising an analytic representation of each of the processed first and second sinogram, respectively, an imaginary component of each complex-valued array representing a quadrature, and a real component of each complex-valued array representing an in-phase component; and   generating an optoacoustic image based upon each complex-valued array, the optoacoustic images being positive, real valued, non-complex images.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising the step of:
 outputting the optoacoustic images.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising the step of:
 generating a map overlay based, at least in part, on data in both of the first and second complex-valued array.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising the steps of:
 transmitting and receiving ultrasound data using the plurality of transducer elements;   producing ultrasound images using the received ultrasound data; and   co-registering and overlaying the map overlay on the ultrasound image to form a composite image.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising the step of:
 outputting the composite image on a display.   
     
     
         10 . A method for processing a tissue sinogram in an optoacoustic imaging system comprising discrete components including a plurality of transducer elements, the method mitigating the effect of variations in discrete components comprising the steps of:
 acoustically coupling the plurality of transducer elements with a portion of a surface of a phantom, the phantom producing a known optoacoustic response to a pulse of light;   directing a pulse of light onto an area of the surface of the phantom;   recording a phantom sinogram by sampling the plurality of transducer elements acoustically coupled with the surface of the phantom for a predetermined period of time after the pulse of light, the phantom sinogram comprising one channel for each of the plurality of transducer elements;   analyzing the phantom sinogram to identify deviation from the known optoacoustic response;   storing information concerning the identified deviation;   acoustically coupling the plurality of transducer elements with a portion of a surface of tissue;   directing a pulse of light onto an area of the surface of the tissue;   generating a tissue sinogram by sampling a plurality of transducer elements acoustically coupled with a surface of the tissue for a predetermined period of time after a pulse of light, the tissue sinogram comprising one channel for each of the plurality of transducer elements;   processing the tissue sinogram using the stored information to mitigate the effect of the identified deviation.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the identified deviation is associated with a channel. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein:
 a plurality of amplifiers are used to amplify analog signals output by each of the plurality of transducer elements,   at least two of the plurality of transducer elements are associated with each one of the plurality of amplifiers, and   wherein at least a portion of the identified deviation is associated with an amplifier.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising the steps of:
 reconstructing an optoacoustic image based upon the information in the processed tissue sinogram; and   outputting the optoacoustic image.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising the steps of:
 generating a complex-valued array comprising an analytic representation of the processed tissue sinogram, an imaginary component of the complex-valued array representing a quadrature, and a real component of the complex-valued array representing an in-phase component; and   generating an optoacoustic image based upon the complex-valued array, the optoacoustic images being a positive, real valued, non-complex images.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising the step of:
 outputting the optoacoustic images.   
     
     
         16 . A method for processing a tissue sinogram in an optoacoustic imaging system comprising discrete components including a plurality of transducer elements, the method mitigating the effect of variations in discrete components comprising the steps of:
 acoustically coupling the plurality of transducer elements with a portion of a surface of a phantom, the phantom producing a known optoacoustic response to a pulse of light;   directing a pulse of light onto an area of the surface of the phantom;   recording a phantom sinogram by sampling the plurality of transducer elements acoustically coupled with the surface of the phantom for a predetermined period of time after the pulse of light, the phantom sinogram comprising one channel for each of the plurality of transducer elements;   analyzing the phantom sinogram to identify deviation from the known optoacoustic response;   storing information concerning the identified deviation;   acoustically coupling the plurality of transducer elements with a portion of a surface of tissue;   directing a first pulse of light having a first predominant wavelength onto an area of the surface of the tissue;   generating a first tissue sinogram by sampling a plurality of transducer elements acoustically coupled with a surface of the first tissue for a predetermined period of time after a pulse of light, the tissue sinogram comprising one channel for each of the plurality of transducer elements;   processing the first tissue sinogram using the stored information to mitigate the effect of the identified deviation;   directing a second pulse of light having a second predominant wavelength onto an area of the surface of the tissue;   generating a second tissue sinogram by sampling a plurality of transducer elements acoustically coupled with a surface of the tissue for a predetermined period of time after a pulse of light, the second tissue sinogram comprising one channel for each of the plurality of transducer elements;   processing the second tissue sinogram using the stored information to mitigate the effect of the identified deviation;   generating a map overlay based, at least in part, on data in both of the first and second processed tissue sinograms;   transmitting and receiving ultrasound data using the plurality of transducer elements;   producing ultrasound images using the received ultrasound data; and   co-registering and overlaying the map overlay on the ultrasound image to form a composite image.   
     
     
         17 . A method for calibrating an optoacoustic imaging system comprising discrete components including a plurality of amplifiers each being adapted to accept input from a plurality of analog inputs from a plurality of transducer elements, the method for mitigating the effect of variations in discrete components comprising the steps of:
 providing an analog signal generator adapted to generate one or more known analog outputs on each of a plurality of channels;   electrically connecting the analog signal generator to the optoacoustic imaging system such that each of the plurality of channels are electrically connected to the plurality of amplifiers;   recording a test sinogram by sampling the one or more known analog outputs of the analog signal generator;   analyzing the test sinogram to identify deviation from the one or more known analog outputs; and   storing information concerning the identified deviation as calibration information that can be used to process a sinogram taken using the optoacoustic imaging system to mitigate the effect of the identified deviation.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the steps of:
 providing a probe having a plurality of transducer elements;   electrically connecting the probe to the optoacoustic imaging system such that each of the plurality of channels are electrically connected to the plurality of amplifiers;   acoustically coupling the plurality of transducer elements with a portion of a surface of tissue;   directing a pulse of light onto an area of the surface of the tissue;   generating a tissue sinogram by sampling the plurality of transducer elements acoustically coupled with a surface of the tissue for a predetermined period of time after a pulse of light, the tissue sinogram comprising one channel for each of the plurality of transducer elements; and   processing the tissue sinogram using the stored information to mitigate the effect of the identified deviation.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the steps of:
 directing a further pulse of light onto an area of the surface of the tissue, the further pulse of light having a wavelength different that the first pulse of light;   generating a further tissue sinogram by sampling the plurality of transducer elements acoustically coupled with a surface of the tissue for a predetermined period of time after the further pulse of light, the further tissue sinogram comprising one channel for each of the plurality of transducer elements;   processing the further tissue sinogram using the stored information to mitigate the effect of the identified deviation.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the steps of:
 generating a map overlay based, at least in part, on data in both of the tissue sinogram and the further tissue sinogram;   transmitting and receiving ultrasound data using the plurality of transducer elements;   producing ultrasound images using the received ultrasound data; and   co-registering and overlaying the map overlay on the ultrasound image to form a composite image.   outputting the composite image on a display.