Technische Univ. Eindhoven

1. Introduction Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is a relatively new biomedical imaging modality that employs the wide variety of optical properties found in tissue to generate contrast with ultrasound (US) resolution. Increasingly sophisticated PA setups and signal processing methods are being developed to enhance the capabilities of PA imaging. Phantom experiments are often performed to validate new methods, to characterize PA setups, and to generate training datasets for machine learning.

1. Introduction Stroke is the second leading cause of death and the third leading cause of disability worldwide.1 The major cause of stroke is the rupture of plaque in the carotid artery.