Spectroscopic imaging of deep tissue through photoacoustic detection of molecular vibration

The quantized vibration of chemical bonds provides a way of imaging target molecules in a complex tissue environment. Photoacoustic detection of harmonic vibrational transitions provides an approach to visualize tissue content beyond the ballistic photon regime. This method involves pulsed laser excitation of overtone transitions in target molecules inside of tissue. Fast relaxation of the vibrational energy into heat results in a local temperature rise on the order of milliKelvins and a subsequent generation of acoustic waves detectable with an ultrasonic transducer. In this Perspective, we review recent advances that demonstrate the advantages of vibration-based photoacoustic imaging and illustrate its potential in diagnosing cardiovascular plaques. An outlook into future development of vibrational photoacoustic endoscopy and tomography is provided.