Fast and Robust Deconvolution-Based Image Reconstruction for Photoacoustic Tomography in Circular Geometry: Experimental Validation

Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) is a fast-developing biomedical imaging technology suitable for in vivo imaging. PAT in spherical or circular geometry gives good image resolution yet is slow or expensive in signal acquisition and image formation. Reducing the number of detection angles can ameliorate such issues, usually at the expense of image quality. This paper introduces a deconvolution-based algorithm that models the imaging process as a linear and shift-invariant system. As demonstrated by the in vivo experiment, this algorithm not only runs much faster than the back-projection algorithm but also shows stronger robustness in that it provides better image quality when detection angles are sparse. Therefore, this algorithm promises to enable real-time PAT in circular geometry.