Vibration-based photoacoustic tomography

Photoacoustic imaging employing molecular overtone vibration as contrast mechanism opens a new avenue for deep tissue imaging with chemical bond selectivity. Here, we demonstrate vibration-based photoacoustic tomography with an imaging depth on the centimeter scale. To provide sufficient pulse energy at the overtone transition wavelengths, we constructed a compact, barium nitrite crystal-based Raman laser for excitation of 2^nd overtone of C-H bond. Using a 5-ns Nd:YAG laser as pumping source, up to 105 mJ pulse energy at 1197 nm was generated. Vibrational photoacoutic spectroscopy and tomography of phantom (polyethylene tube) immersed in whole milk was performed. With a pulse energy of 47 mJ on the milk surface, up to 2.5 cm penetration depth was reached with a signal-to-noise ratio of 12.