For a realistic model of this hybrid imaging technique, we combine results of a Monte Carlo simulation of light transport in a numerical tissue phantom with a simulation of acoustic propagation and detection, which is based on the spatial impulse response of a focusing ultrasound transducer. The good agreement of the simulation with experimental results makes us confident that this kind of modeling can be used to explore the limits of deep imaging of biological tissue and to optimize our experimental imaging devices. A possible application, which is also the subject of an ongoing research project together with RECENDT in Linz, is human breast imaging for detection of cancerous tissue.
The paper entitled “Modeling photoacoustic imaging with a scanning focused detector using Monte Carlo simulation of energy deposition” by G. Paltauf, P. Torke and R. Nuster appears in a special issue honoring Prof. Steve Jacques, a pioneer in biomedical optics.