Full noncontact laser ultrasound: first human data

Full noncontact laser ultrasound (LUS) imaging has several distinct advantages over current medical ultrasound (US) technologies: elimination of the coupling mediums (gel/water), operator-independent image quality, improved repeatability, and volumetric imaging. Current light-based ultrasound utilizing tissue-penetrating photoacoustics (PA) generally uses traditional piezoelectric transducers in contact with the imaged tissue or carries an optical fiber detector close to the imaging site. Unlike PA, the LUS design presented here minimizes the optical penetration and specifically restricts optical-to-acoustic energy transduction at the tissue surface, maximizing the generated acoustic source amplitude. With an appropriate optical design and interferometry, any exposed tissue surfaces can become viable acoustic sources and detectors. LUS operates analogously to conventional ultrasound but uses light instead of piezoelectric elements. Here, we present full noncontact LUS results, imaging targets at ~5 cm depths and at a meter-scale standoff from the target surface. Experimental results demonstrating volumetric imaging and the first LUS images on humans are presented, all at eye- and skin-safe optical exposure levels. The progression of LUS imaging from tissue-mimicking phantoms, to excised animal tissue, to humans in vivo is shown, with validation from conventional ultrasound images. The LUS system design insights and results presented here inspire further LUS development and are a significant step toward the clinical implementation of LUS.