Photoacoustic Sensing and Imaging: Hardware, Algorithm and AI
A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Sensing and Imaging".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 139
Special Issue Editors
Interests: photoacoustic imaging; equipment and algorithm development; clinical applications
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: photoacoustic imaging; ultrasound imaging; image reconstruction; artificial intelligence
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) is an emerging hybrid imaging modality that integrates optical contrast with ultrasound detection, combining the high absorption contrast of optical imaging with the deep penetration and fine spatial resolution of an ultrasound. By irradiating tissue with short laser pulses and capturing the resulting acoustic waves, PAI noninvasively images the spatial distribution of endogenous chromophores (e.g., oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin, melanin) and exogenous contrast agents. These capabilities enable high-resolution, real-time functional and molecular imaging in a range of biomedical contexts. However, clinical translation has been hindered by bulky and expensive components (such as large pulsed lasers) and the complexity of system integration. Recent research efforts have aimed to address these challenges through compact, high-speed sources (pulsed laser diodes, LEDs) and novel ultrasound detectors (advanced transducers and optical sensors), together with sophisticated beamforming, spectral-unmixing, and AI-based reconstruction techniques. This Special Issue of Sensors invites the submission of interdisciplinary contributions that span hardware, signal processing, and AI to advance biomedical photoacoustic sensing and imaging.
Topics of interest include the following:
- Ultrasound transducers and detectors: Innovative designs (piezoelectric, piezo-composite, CMUT/PMUT, polymer, optical, etc.) and array configurations for high-sensitivity photoacoustic detection.
- Optical excitation sources and illumination: Development of compact pulsed light sources (diode lasers, LEDs, fiber lasers, OPOs) and multi-wavelength illumination schemes for high-speed and multispectral PAI.
- Photoacoustic imaging systems and platforms: Advances in system design (e.g., photoacoustic tomography, microscopy, endoscopy, handheld and wearable devices) and integration of fiber-optic or miniaturized components.
- Signal processing and image reconstruction: Advanced algorithms for beamforming, back-projection, compressed sensing, iterative/model-based reconstruction, deconvolution, and super-resolution in PAI.
- Spectral and functional PAI: Multispectral acquisition, spectral unmixing methods, and quantitative functional imaging (oxygenation mapping, hemoglobin concentration, lipid/water content, etc.).
- Deep learning and AI applications: Neural network approaches for PAI, including DL-based reconstruction, denoising, image enhancement, segmentation, and the automated diagnostic interpretation of photoacoustic data.
- Hybrid and multimodal imaging: Integration of PAI with other modalities (ultrasound, OCT, fluorescence, MRI, etc.) for complementary contrast and image guidance.
- Biomedical applications: Preclinical and clinical studies employing PAI in oncology, vascular and cardiovascular imaging, neuroscience (brain and functional imaging), dermatology, tissue engineering, and therapy monitoring.
- Contrast agents and molecular probes: Design of targeted nanoparticles, dyes, and genetically encoded reporters for enhanced specificity and sensitivity in photoacoustic sensing.
Each submission should address aspects of hardware innovation, computational processing, or AI techniques (or their combination) in the context of photoacoustic sensing and imaging for biomedical applications. Authors are encouraged to emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of this field and the translation of PAI technology to practical biomedical use.
Dr. Fei Gao
Dr. Hengrong Lan
Dr. Daohuai Jiang
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- photoacoustic sensing
- photoacoustic imaging
- hardware
- algorithm
- artificial intelligence
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