Ultrawideband high density polymer-based spherical array for real-time functional optoacoustic micro-angiography

Abstract

Optoacoustic (or photoacoustic) tomography offers ultrafast volumetric imaging with a single light pulse, with frame rates ultimately constrained by ultrasound time-of-flight. However, current piezo-composite detectors suffer from narrow bandwidths, limiting spatial resolution and scalability. In this work, we introduce a novel high-density spherical detector array based on flexible polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) films. The array comprises 512 sub‑mm² elements covering an ultra-wideband range of 0.3–40 MHz, enabling real-time, multi-scale volumetric imaging with exceptional fidelity. Spatial resolution reaches 22–35 µm, and the signal-to-noise ratio improves by over an order of magnitude compared to conventional piezo-composite arrays. We further demonstrate five-dimensional imaging capabilities—spectral, temporal, and volumetric—by capturing rapid stimulus-evoked cerebral oxygenation changes in mice and performing real-time functional angiography of deep human micro-vasculature. This broad bandwidth allows simultaneous visualization of structures from the micrometer to millimeter scale while maintaining high sensitivity and quantitative reliability. Overall, this development expands the functional capabilities of optoacoustics, paving the way for quantitative, high-resolution visualization of rapid biological dynamics across scales and supporting translation into both clinical and fundamental research settings.

Speaker

Pavel Subochev
Institute of Applied Physics RAS
Россия

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