Theoretical and experimental study on the detection limit of the micro-ring resonator based ultrasound point detectors

Youngseop Lee; Qiangzhou Rong; Ki Hee Song; David A. Czaplewski; Hao F. Zhang; Junjie Yao; Cheng Sun

doi:10.1016/j.pacs.2023.100574

Theoretical and experimental study on the detection limit of the micro-ring resonator based ultrasound point detectors

Youngseop Lee, Qiangzhou Rong, Ki Hee Song, David A. Czaplewski, Hao F. Zhang, Junjie Yao^*, Cheng Sun^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter › peer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Combining the diffusive laser excitation and the photoacoustic signals detection, photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) is uniquely suited for deep tissue imaging. A diffraction-limited ultrasound point detector is highly desirable for maximizing the spatial resolution and the field-of-view of the reconstructed volumetric images. Among all the available ultrasound detectors, micro-ring resonator (MRR) based ultrasound detectors offer the lowest area-normalized limit of detection (nLOD) in a miniature form-factor, making it an ideal candidate as an ultrasound point detector. However, despite their wide adoption for photoacoustic imaging, the underlying signal transduction process has not been systematically studied yet. Here we report a comprehensive theoretical model capturing the transduction of incident acoustic signals into digital data, and the associated noise propagation process, using experimentally calibrated key process parameters. The theoretical model quantifies the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the nLOD under the influence of the key process variables, including the quality factor (Q-factor) of the MRR and the driving wavelength. While asserting the need for higher Q-factors, the theoretical model further quantifies the optimal driving wavelength for optimizing the nLOD. Given the MRR with a Q-factor of 1 × 10⁵, the theoretical model predicts an optimal SNR of 30.1 dB and a corresponding nLOD of 3.75 × 10⁻² mPa mm²/Hz^1/2, which are in good agreement with the experimental measurements of 31.0 dB and 3.39 × 10⁻² mPa mm²/Hz^1/2, respectively. The reported theoretical model can be used in guiding the optimization of MRR-based ultrasonic detectors and PA experimental conditions, in attaining higher imaging resolution and contrast. The optimized operating condition has been further validated by performing PACT imaging of a human hair phantom.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	100574
Journal	Photoacoustics
Volume	34
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pacs.2023.100574
State	Published - Dec 2023

Funding

This work was supported by the grants P41GM135018 and R01GM143397 from the US National Institutes of Health to H.F.Z. and C.S.; the grants R01EB028143 , R01NS111039 , RF1NS115581 , and R01HL166522 from the US National Institutes of Health , CAREER award 2144788 from the US National Science Foundation , and 226178 from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative , all to J.Y.. Work performed at the Center for Nanoscale Materials, a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility, was supported by the U.S. DOE , Office of Basic Energy Sciences, under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357 .

Keywords

Photoacoustic computed tomography
Photoacoustic imaging
Polymer micro-ring resonator
Ultrasound detector

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging

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10.1016/j.pacs.2023.100574

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@article{f8453733893d4fd0a39ff491ab378d91,

title = "Theoretical and experimental study on the detection limit of the micro-ring resonator based ultrasound point detectors",

abstract = "Combining the diffusive laser excitation and the photoacoustic signals detection, photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) is uniquely suited for deep tissue imaging. A diffraction-limited ultrasound point detector is highly desirable for maximizing the spatial resolution and the field-of-view of the reconstructed volumetric images. Among all the available ultrasound detectors, micro-ring resonator (MRR) based ultrasound detectors offer the lowest area-normalized limit of detection (nLOD) in a miniature form-factor, making it an ideal candidate as an ultrasound point detector. However, despite their wide adoption for photoacoustic imaging, the underlying signal transduction process has not been systematically studied yet. Here we report a comprehensive theoretical model capturing the transduction of incident acoustic signals into digital data, and the associated noise propagation process, using experimentally calibrated key process parameters. The theoretical model quantifies the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the nLOD under the influence of the key process variables, including the quality factor (Q-factor) of the MRR and the driving wavelength. While asserting the need for higher Q-factors, the theoretical model further quantifies the optimal driving wavelength for optimizing the nLOD. Given the MRR with a Q-factor of 1 × 105, the theoretical model predicts an optimal SNR of 30.1 dB and a corresponding nLOD of 3.75 × 10−2 mPa mm2/Hz1/2, which are in good agreement with the experimental measurements of 31.0 dB and 3.39 × 10−2 mPa mm2/Hz1/2, respectively. The reported theoretical model can be used in guiding the optimization of MRR-based ultrasonic detectors and PA experimental conditions, in attaining higher imaging resolution and contrast. The optimized operating condition has been further validated by performing PACT imaging of a human hair phantom.",

keywords = "Photoacoustic computed tomography, Photoacoustic imaging, Polymer micro-ring resonator, Ultrasound detector",

author = "Youngseop Lee and Qiangzhou Rong and Song, {Ki Hee} and Czaplewski, {David A.} and Zhang, {Hao F.} and Junjie Yao and Cheng Sun",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 The Authors",

year = "2023",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1016/j.pacs.2023.100574",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "34",

journal = "Photoacoustics",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Theoretical and experimental study on the detection limit of the micro-ring resonator based ultrasound point detectors

AU - Lee, Youngseop

AU - Rong, Qiangzhou

AU - Song, Ki Hee

AU - Czaplewski, David A.

AU - Zhang, Hao F.

AU - Yao, Junjie

AU - Sun, Cheng

PY - 2023/12

Y1 - 2023/12

N2 - Combining the diffusive laser excitation and the photoacoustic signals detection, photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) is uniquely suited for deep tissue imaging. A diffraction-limited ultrasound point detector is highly desirable for maximizing the spatial resolution and the field-of-view of the reconstructed volumetric images. Among all the available ultrasound detectors, micro-ring resonator (MRR) based ultrasound detectors offer the lowest area-normalized limit of detection (nLOD) in a miniature form-factor, making it an ideal candidate as an ultrasound point detector. However, despite their wide adoption for photoacoustic imaging, the underlying signal transduction process has not been systematically studied yet. Here we report a comprehensive theoretical model capturing the transduction of incident acoustic signals into digital data, and the associated noise propagation process, using experimentally calibrated key process parameters. The theoretical model quantifies the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the nLOD under the influence of the key process variables, including the quality factor (Q-factor) of the MRR and the driving wavelength. While asserting the need for higher Q-factors, the theoretical model further quantifies the optimal driving wavelength for optimizing the nLOD. Given the MRR with a Q-factor of 1 × 105, the theoretical model predicts an optimal SNR of 30.1 dB and a corresponding nLOD of 3.75 × 10−2 mPa mm2/Hz1/2, which are in good agreement with the experimental measurements of 31.0 dB and 3.39 × 10−2 mPa mm2/Hz1/2, respectively. The reported theoretical model can be used in guiding the optimization of MRR-based ultrasonic detectors and PA experimental conditions, in attaining higher imaging resolution and contrast. The optimized operating condition has been further validated by performing PACT imaging of a human hair phantom.

AB - Combining the diffusive laser excitation and the photoacoustic signals detection, photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) is uniquely suited for deep tissue imaging. A diffraction-limited ultrasound point detector is highly desirable for maximizing the spatial resolution and the field-of-view of the reconstructed volumetric images. Among all the available ultrasound detectors, micro-ring resonator (MRR) based ultrasound detectors offer the lowest area-normalized limit of detection (nLOD) in a miniature form-factor, making it an ideal candidate as an ultrasound point detector. However, despite their wide adoption for photoacoustic imaging, the underlying signal transduction process has not been systematically studied yet. Here we report a comprehensive theoretical model capturing the transduction of incident acoustic signals into digital data, and the associated noise propagation process, using experimentally calibrated key process parameters. The theoretical model quantifies the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the nLOD under the influence of the key process variables, including the quality factor (Q-factor) of the MRR and the driving wavelength. While asserting the need for higher Q-factors, the theoretical model further quantifies the optimal driving wavelength for optimizing the nLOD. Given the MRR with a Q-factor of 1 × 105, the theoretical model predicts an optimal SNR of 30.1 dB and a corresponding nLOD of 3.75 × 10−2 mPa mm2/Hz1/2, which are in good agreement with the experimental measurements of 31.0 dB and 3.39 × 10−2 mPa mm2/Hz1/2, respectively. The reported theoretical model can be used in guiding the optimization of MRR-based ultrasonic detectors and PA experimental conditions, in attaining higher imaging resolution and contrast. The optimized operating condition has been further validated by performing PACT imaging of a human hair phantom.

KW - Photoacoustic computed tomography

KW - Photoacoustic imaging

KW - Polymer micro-ring resonator

KW - Ultrasound detector

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M3 - Letter

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SN - 2213-5979

VL - 34

JO - Photoacoustics

JF - Photoacoustics

M1 - 100574

ER -

Theoretical and experimental study on the detection limit of the micro-ring resonator based ultrasound point detectors

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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