It is not often that one opens a science book to find beautiful artwork that is relevant to the topic. The author chose to illustrate this book with two hybrid drawings/paintings of scenery, a multimodal approach like thermoacoustic tomography (TAT). TAT is a new imaging technique that combines microwaves (for high contrast and specificity) and ultrasound (for high spatial resolution) in a way that is safe, portable and economical. Although introduced as a concept in the 1990s, recent advances are making TAT practical, and this book is the first one to weave together the research papers on the topic.
The book covers TAT from the advanced mathematical fundamentals, through the instrumentation needs, to the clinical aspects. There are many examples of simulations (using so-called phantoms of assembled media layers to verify and calibrate the technique), multiple charts (some in color), as well as a variety of references up to almost the date of publication. A few sections are reprinted from the literature to convey most accurately the authors’ findings (particularly in the final chapter on clinical applications). In addition to the theory, the book includes a wealth of practical considerations, some in surprising places. For example, a low cost and portable magnetron generator is described in the chapter on image enhancements. In summary, this is an excellent first book on the topic of TAT, ideal as a reference for a professional or useful as a textbook for graduate students.
Review by Bogdan Hoanca, University of Alaska Anchorage, USA.
The opinions expressed in the book review section are those of the reviewer and do not necessarily reflect those of OPN or OSA.