Full image reconstruction in frequency-domain photoacoustic microscopy by means of a low-cost I/Q demodulator.

Abstract

We present a full image reconstruction methodology in frequency-domain photoacoustic (PA) microscopy using a low-cost I/Q demodulator for the recording of the amplitude and phase of the signals. By modulating the intensity of a continuous-wave diode laser at 10 MHz, we have been able to provide accurate optical absorption images and surface reconstructions of phantom samples, comparing also the extracted results with standard time-domain approaches. The findings of the study in this Letter could be utilized towards the development of inexpensive PA microscopes with multispectral capabilities for a wide range of biomedical studies, requiring the sensitive detection of endogenous or exogenous absorbers in tissues.