Optical ultrasound sensors for photoacoustic imaging: a review

Significance: Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is an emerging biomedical imaging modality that can map optical absorption contrast in biological tissues by detecting ultrasound signal. Piezoelectric transducers are commonly used in PA imaging to detect the ultrasound signals. However, piezoelectric transducers suffer from low sensitivity when the dimensions are reduced and are easily influenced by electromagnetic interference. To avoid these limitations, various optical ultrasound sensors have been developed and shown their great potential in PA imaging. Aim: Our study aims to summarize recent progress in optical ultrasound sensor technologies and their applications in PA imaging. Approach: The commonly used optical ultrasound sensing techniques and their applications in PA systems are reviewed. The technical advances of different optical ultrasound sensors are summarized. Results: Optical ultrasound sensors can provide wide bandwidth and improved sensitivity with miniatured size, which enables their applications in PA imaging. Conclusions: The optical ultrasound sensors are promising transducers in PA imaging to provide higher-resolution images and can be used in new applications with their unique advantages. © 2024 The Authors.