Photoacoustic holographic imaging of absorbers embedded in silicone

Light absorbing objects embedded in silicone have been imaged using photoacoustic digital holography. The photoacoustic waves were generated using a pulsed Nd:YAG laser, λ=1064 nm, and pulse length=12 ns. When the waves reached the silicone surface, they were measured optically along a line using a scanning laser vibrometer. The acoustic waves were then digitally reconstructed using a holographic algorithm. The laser vibrometer is proven to be sensitive enough to measure the surface velocity due to photoacoustic waves generated from laser pulses with a fluence allowed for human tissue. It is also shown that combining digital holographic reconstructions for different acoustic wavelengths provides images with suppressed noise and improved depth resolution. The objects are imaged at a depth of 16.5 mm with a depth resolution of 0.5 mm.