Pulsed photoacoustic Doppler flowmetry using a cross-correlation method

The feasibility of making spatially resolved measurements of blood flow using pulsed photoacoustic Doppler techniques has been explored. Doppler time shifts were quantified via cross-correlation of pairs of photoacoustic waveforms generated within a blood-simulating phantom using pairs of laser light pulses. The photoacoustic waves were detected using a focussed or planar PZT ultrasound transducer. This approach was found to be effective for quantifying the linear motion of micron-scale absorbers imprinted on an acetate sheet moving with velocities in the range 0.15 to 1.50 ms(-1). The effect of the acoustic spot diameter and the time separation between the laser pulses on measurement resolution and the maximum measurable velocity is discussed. The distinguishing advantage of pulsed rather than continuous-wave excitation is that spatially resolved velocity measurements can be made. This offers the prospect of mapping flow within the microcirculation and thus providing insights into the perfusion of tumours and other pathologies characterised by abnormalities in flow status.