Volume 2 Issue 1 | Biophotonics Discovery

Biophotonics Discovery

VOL. 2 · NO. 1 | January 2025

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Special Section: Skin Tone in Biophotonics (1)

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Special Section: Skin Tone in Biophotonics

Impact of skin tone on target size detectability in photoacoustic breast imaging

Rhea D. Rasquinha, Mardava R. Gubbi, Muyinatu A. Lediju Bell

Biophotonics Discovery, Vol. 2, Issue 01, 012502, (November 2024) https://doi.org/10.1117/1.BIOS.2.1.012502

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Significance

Photoacoustic imaging has the potential to improve non-invasive breast cancer diagnosis. However, illumination through the skin introduces a skin tone bias, as greater melanin content increases optical absorption and can create acoustic clutter, reducing the visibility of various target sizes.

Aim

We investigate the impact of skin tone bias as a function of target sizes in three photoacoustic image reconstruction methods: fast Fourier transform (FFT)-based reconstruction, delay-and-sum (DAS) beamforming, and short-lag spatial coherence (SLSC) beamforming.

Methods

The three imaging methods were applied to channel data from multidomain simulations with 757, 800, and 1064 nm wavelengths, 11 target sizes (ranging 0.5 to 3 mm), 18 skin tones [ranging individual typology angles (ITAs), of –54 deg to 60 deg], and a previously validated realistic 3D breast model. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and generalized contrast-to-noise ratio (gCNR) were measured to assess visibility.

Results

With 757 and 800 nm wavelengths, targets underlying dark skin tones (ITA range: −54 deg to −33 deg) with sizes ≤3 mm were poorly visible with ≤2.38 to 4.21 mean SNR and ≤0.46 to 0.74 mean gCNR, with smaller targets generally being more visible with lighter skin tones. A 1064-nm transmit wavelength improved visualization with DAS and SLSC beamforming, relative to both FFT reconstruction with a 1064 nm wavelength and DAS or SLSC beamforming with 757 and 800 nm wavelengths. When combined with SLSC beamforming, the 1064-nm wavelength offered the greatest improvements, enabling visualization of simulated target sizes ranging from 0.5 to 3 mm underlying very light (ITA = 60 deg) to dark (ITA=−54 deg) skin tones, with mean SNR ≤10.01 and mean gCNR ≤1. Visualization of simulated vessel structures derived from in vivo photoacoustic images was consistent with simulation-based target size expectations.

Conclusions

Results are promising for advancing next-generation photoacoustic imaging systems for breast cancer diagnosis across the range of skin tones represented in healthcare systems throughout the world.

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