From Anatomy to Angiography in Seconds: The Promise of RUS-PAT Imaging

Researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the California Institute of Technology have developed a novel three-dimensional imaging platform that combines ultrasound and photoacoustic tomography to capture both tissue structure and vascular detail in a single, rapid examination. The technique, known as rotational ultrasound and photoacoustic tomography or RUS-PAT, is designed to provide panoramic views of the human body with minimal setup and fast acquisition times (Figure 1). Figure 1 .

Breast images acquired using RUS-PAT; Source: Nature Biomedical Engineering RUS-PAT brings together the strengths of conventional ultrasonography and photoacoustic imaging . Rotational ultrasound tomography is used to map soft tissue morphology, while photoacoustic tomography highlights blood vessels by detecting acoustic signals generated after light absorption. Both datasets are acquired…