Coherent fiber bundle based integrated photoacoustic, ultrasound and fluorescence imaging (PAUSFI) for endoscopy and diagnostic bio-imaging applications

Recent research in diagnostic imaging and sensing focuses on deriving complementary information from the diagnosed site. From that perspective it is imperative to devise new imaging platforms where multiple distinct modalities are used either simultaneously or sequentially. Increased efforts have been devoted towards establishing such multi-modal imaging systems, which house and operate more than two imaging modalities within a single instrumentation set-up. In this context, we propose a novel multi-modal imaging platform using non-ionizing radiation that has been successfully conceptualized, established and experimentally demonstrated. This proposed GRIN lensed fiber-optic microscope and linear array transducer based PAUSFI (photoacoustic, ultrasound and fluorescence imaging) system makes use of non-ionizing radiation sources to map optical and acoustic heterogeneities (complementary information) along the depth of the tissue at multi-scale resolution (microscopic to mesoscopic). The fiber-optic assembly enables the system to perform minimally invasive remote light delivery and high resolution fluorescence and photoacoustic imaging of inaccessible areas of intact tissues or intra body cavities. It is expected that the proposed multi-modal imaging system could open up niches in bio-imaging research in the near future.