Photoacoustic Digital Eye and Image Reconstruction in 3D

Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) is an emerging medical technology based on the photoacoustic effect. Currently, PAI of the eye has only been attempted using photoacoustic microscopy (PAM). However, PAM is slow and requires the laser to be directly shot into the eye, causing discomfort and possible damage. Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) offers advantages such as real-time 3D imaging with deeper penetration. In this paper, we validate the feasibility of PAT for 3D eye imaging. We constructed a photoacoustic digital eye model based on the anatomical structure of the human eye, including the eyelid, lens, ciliary muscle, suspensory ligament of the ciliary body, vitreous body, retinal vessels, and optic nerve sheath. Monte Carlo optical simulations were conducted on this model to obtain initial pressure distributions, which were then imported into k-wave toolbox for acoustic simulation and 3D imaging using a time reversal reconstruction algorithm. The results demonstrate successful 3D imaging of retinal vessels with a closed eyelid, confirming the feasibility of PAT for 3D eye imaging applications.