System and method for providing selective channel sensitivity in an optoacoustic imaging system

A method for processing a tissue sinogram in an optoacoustic imaging system comprising discrete components including a plurality of transducer elements, the method mitigating the effect of variations in discrete components comprising the steps of:

• acoustically coupling the plurality of transducer elements with a portion of a surface of a phantom, the phantom producing a known optoacoustic response to a pulse of light;
• directing a pulse of light onto an area of the surface of the phantom;
• recording a phantom sinogram by sampling the plurality of transducer elements acoustically coupled with the surface of the phantom for a predetermined period of time after the pulse of light, the phantom sinogram comprising one channel for each of the plurality of transducer elements;
• analyzing the phantom sinogram to identify deviation from the known optoacoustic response;
• storing information concerning the identified deviation;
• acoustically coupling the plurality of transducer elements with a portion of a surface of tissue;
• directing a pulse of light onto an area of the surface of the tissue;
• generating a tissue sinogram by sampling a plurality of transducer elements acoustically coupled with a surface of the tissue for a predetermined period of time after a pulse of light, the tissue sinogram comprising one channel for each of the plurality of transducer elements;
• processing the tissue sinogram using the stored information to mitigate the effect of the identified deviation.

A method for processing a tissue sinogram in an optoacoustic imaging system comprising discrete components including a plurality of transducer elements, the method mitigating the effect of variations in discrete components comprising the steps of:

• acoustically coupling the plurality of transducer elements with a portion of a surface of a phantom, the phantom producing a known optoacoustic response to a pulse of light;
• directing a pulse of light onto an area of the surface of the phantom;
• recording a phantom sinogram by sampling the plurality of transducer elements acoustically coupled with the surface of the phantom for a predetermined period of time after the pulse of light, the phantom sinogram comprising one channel for each of the plurality of transducer elements;
• analyzing the phantom sinogram to identify deviation from the known optoacoustic response;
• storing information concerning the identified deviation;
• acoustically coupling the plurality of transducer elements with a portion of a surface of tissue;
• directing a first pulse of light having a first predominant wavelength onto an area of the surface of the tissue;
• generating a first tissue sinogram by sampling a plurality of transducer elements acoustically coupled with a surface of the first tissue for a predetermined period of time after a pulse of light, the tissue sinogram comprising one channel for each of the plurality of transducer elements;
• processing the first tissue sinogram using the stored information to mitigate the effect of the identified deviation;
• directing a second pulse of light having a second predominant wavelength onto an area of the surface of the tissue;
• generating a second tissue sinogram by sampling a plurality of transducer elements acoustically coupled with a surface of the tissue for a predetermined period of time after a pulse of light, the second tissue sinogram comprising one channel for each of the plurality of transducer elements;
• processing the second tissue sinogram using the stored information to mitigate the effect of the identified deviation;
• generating a map overlay based, at least in part, on data in both of the first and second processed tissue sinograms;
• transmitting and receiving ultrasound data using the plurality of transducer elements;
• producing ultrasound images using the received ultrasound data;
• and
• co-registering and overlaying the map overlay on the ultrasound image to form a composite image.

A method for calibrating an optoacoustic imaging system comprising discrete components including a plurality of amplifiers each being adapted to accept input from a plurality of analog inputs from a plurality of transducer elements, the method for mitigating the effect of variations in discrete components comprising the steps of:

• providing an analog signal generator adapted to generate one or more known analog outputs on each of a plurality of channels;
• electrically connecting the analog signal generator to the optoacoustic imaging system such that each of the plurality of channels are electrically connected to the plurality of amplifiers;
• recording a test sinogram by sampling the one or more known analog outputs of the analog signal generator;
• analyzing the test sinogram to identify deviation from the one or more known analog outputs;
• and
• storing information concerning the identified deviation as calibration information that can be used to process a sinogram taken using the optoacoustic imaging system to mitigate the effect of the identified deviation.