在生物医学成像方法中，光声成像（PAI）由于激发和探测的物理信号不同，是一个非常独特的存在。这种“混合”成像模式打破了一直困扰组织光学高分辨成像的深度壁垒，为探索生命奥秘和疾病的诊治提供了有巨大潜力的平台技术。但PAI迄今并没有被普遍使用，一方面受限于其自身机制，另一方面在实际应用中也存在一些挑战。基于作者在PAI领域长时间的科研体验和思考，对该技术做了一些探讨，与一般的研究综述不同，并没有详细介绍一些较为重要的相关技术和应用成果，而是重点关注PAI的历史发展、内涵及其主要面临的挑战，以促进对该技术的理解从而加快其推广。

Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) is a very unique existence in biomedical imaging methods owing to the very different physical signals for excitation and detection. This "mixed" imaging mode breaks through the barrier in high-resolution optical imaging for deep tissue, providing a powerful platform technology for both biomedical research and clinical applications. However, PAI has not been widely used thus far. On the one hand, it is limited by its own mechanism, and on the other hand, there are some challenges in its practical application. This study discusses PAI technology based on the author's long-term scientific research experience and thinking in the field of PAI. Unlike the general research review, it does not discuss some of the important related technologies and application achievements in detail, instead it focuses on the historical development, connotation, and main challenges of PAI to foster the understanding of this technique and accelerate its implementations.