Tissues imaging by ultrasonic tagging of transmitted or backscattered photons paths

Summary form given. Echography is now a routinely used non-invasive technique for imaging through the body. A simple protocols gives quickly an image related to mechanical properties of the tissues. Recently, a complementary technique based on the coupling of light and ultrasound has been developed. This approach allows imaging through several centimeters thick biological tissues with millimeter resolution. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the ability of this imaging system to reveal tumors using ex-vivo sample and for different configurations. The authors also want to emphasize the interest of coupling their set-up with an echography system in order to get both acoustic and acousto-optic signals.