In this study, we explore a new application of thermoacoustic tomography (TAT) for imaging human finger joints and bones. Three volunteers’ finger joints and bones were visualized with satisfying image contrast and spatial resolution by a TAT scanner. The recovered TAT images revealed apparent microwave absorption differences between the joint cavity and bone. Beyond the full single finger imaging, a volunteer’s four fingers were clearly and concurrently imaged. To confirm our observations, MRI images of two volunteers’ fingers were performed, and the TAT recovered shape/size of the fingers were consistent with the MRI findings. To further assess the feasibility of TAT for finger joint and bone imaging, we quantitatively calculated the conductivity of a case. This initial study suggests that TAT may be a good candidate for screening, diagnosing, and monitoring treatment of joint and bone diseases.
This article presents a comprehensive review on a non-invasive, high resolution and high contrast imaging modality, called thermoacoustic tomography (TAT). Details about the principles, history and future directions of TAT are described.
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