ABSTRACT
This chapter presents results obtained with the photoacoustic mammoscope (PAM) developed at the University of Twente. This instrument employs mild compression of the breast between a window for illumination and a flat array ultrasound detector. This geometry has been chosen to facilitate imaging of deeply embedded tumors, which may remain undetected in the pendant breast. The breast is positioned between the glass plate of the scanning system compartment and the flat detector. The resolution of the system depends on the ultrasound detector characteristics, such as the number of elements used, the pitch and frequency bandwidth (BW). Further, the detector-source distance and the image reconstruction algorithm used are important. The study protocol was designed based on experiences of imaging on volunteers, with priority given to minimize the burden to patients who participated in the study. The location of the sphere and its size in the PA images reproduce the actual situation in the phantom.
