Diffuse optical spectroscopy of lactating and non-lactating human mammary physiology.

Breastfeeding provides widely recognized advantages for infant and maternal health. Unfortunately, many women experience trouble with breastfeeding. Nevertheless, few suitable imaging modalities are available to study human lactation and determine the possible causes of breastfeeding problems.

Pendant breast immobilization and positioning in photoacoustic tomographic imaging.

This work describes the design, development and added value of breast-supporting cups to immobilize and position the pendant breast in photoacoustic tomographic imaging. We explain the considerations behind the choice of the material, the shape and sizes of a cup-shaped construct for supporting the breast in water in an imaging tank during full-breast imaging. We provide details of the fabrication, and other processing and testing procedures used.

Twente Photoacoustic Mammoscope 2: system overview and three-dimensional vascular network images in healthy breasts.

We present the Twente Photoacoustic Mammoscope 2, a photoacoustic breast imaging system employing a tomographic configuration. It images one breast pendant inside an imaging tank filled with water while a woman lies prone on a bed. A dual-head laser (755 and 1064 nm) illuminates the breast with one beam directed at the nipple and nine beams directed at the sides.