Miniaturized photoacoustic imaging apparatus including a rotatable reflector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016235305-A1
Application number	US-201615141189-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 28, 2016
Priority date	Jan 9, 2009
Publication date	Aug 18, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A reflection-mode photoacoustic endoscope includes a tube, a light source configured to emit a light pulse suitable for photoacoustic imaging, an ultrasonic transducer configured to detect a response signal, and a light and acoustic reflector rotatable relative to the tube.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A reflection-mode photoacoustic endoscope comprising:
a tube; a light source configured to emit a light pulse suitable for photoacoustic imaging; an ultrasonic transducer configured to detect a response signal; and a light and acoustic reflector rotatable relative to the tube.

2 . The endoscope of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic transducer is further configured to emit an ultrasonic pulse.

3 . The endoscope of claim 2 , wherein the light and acoustic reflector:
reflects at least one of the light pulse and the ultrasonic pulse into a target area of an object; and reflects a response signal from the target area to said ultrasonic signal detection unit, the response signal being one of a photoacoustic wave and an ultrasonic pulse echo.

4 . The endoscope of claim 2 , wherein the photoacoustic wave is generated by the object responsive to the light pulse and the ultrasonic pulse echo is generated by the object responsive to the ultrasonic pulse.

5 . The endoscope of claim 1 , wherein the light and acoustic reflector is configured to move in a scanning pattern, the scanning pattern selected from one or more of: rotating about a longitudinal axis of the tube, translating along the longitudinal axis of the tube, and tilting about a tilt axis oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tube.

6 . The endoscope of claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises an external pulse laser positioned outside of the tube, and at least one optical fiber, wherein the external pulse laser is configured to emit the light pulse suitable for photoacoustic imaging and the at least one optical fiber is configured to direct the light pulse from the external pulse laser to the light and acoustic reflector.

7 . The endoscope of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasound transducer is a focused ultrasonic transducer selected from: a curved ultrasonic transducer with a hemispherical surface, a planar ultrasonic transducer with an acoustic lens attached, and an electronically focused ultrasonic array transducer.

8 . The endoscope of claim 1 , wherein ultrasound transducer is positioned with a fixed orientation with respect to the tube.

Assignees

• Univ Washington

Inventors

• Wang Lihong
• Maslov Konstantin
• Yang Joon-Mo

Classifications

• A61B5/0873

  using optical means · CPC title

• A61B5/0068

  Confocal scanning · CPC title

• A61B5/08

  Measuring devices for evaluating the respiratory organs · CPC title

• A61B8/12

  in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters · CPC title

• A61B5/0084

  for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters (A61B5/1459 takes precedence) · CPC title