In vivo volumetric imaging of subcutaneous microvasculature by photoacoustic microscopy.

Photoacoustic microscopy was developed to achieve volumetric imaging of the anatomy and functions of the subcutaneous microvasculature in both small animals and humans in vivo with high spatial resolution and high signal-to-background ratio. By following the skin contour in raster scanning, the ultrasonic transducer maintains focusing in the region of interest. Furthermore, off-focus lateral resolution is improved by using a synthetic-aperture focusing technique based on the virtual point detector concept. Structural images are acquired in both rats and humans, whereas functional images representing hemoglobin oxygen saturation are acquired in rats. After multiscale vesselness filtering, arterioles and venules in the image are separated based on the imaged oxygen saturation levels. Detailed structural information, such as vessel depth and spatial orientation, are revealed by volume rendering.