Dual modality imaging system for coregistered functional and anatomical mapping

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017014101-A1
Application number	US-201615277835-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 27, 2016
Priority date	Nov 2, 2011
Publication date	Jan 19, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A real-time imaging system that provides ultrasonic imaging and optoacoustic imaging coregistered through application of the same hand-held probe to generate and detect ultrasonic and optoacoustic signals. These signals are digitized, processed and used to reconstruct anatomical maps superimposed with maps of two functional parameters of blood hemoglobin index and blood oxygenation index. The blood hemoglobin index represents blood hemoglobin concentration changes in the areas of diagnostic interest relative to the background blood concentration. The blood oxygenation index represents blood oxygenation changes in the areas of diagnostic interest relative to the background level of blood oxygenation. These coregistered maps can be used to noninvasively differentiate malignant tumors from benign lumps and cysts.

First claim

1 . An imaging system for visualization of slices into the depth of tissue of at least a portion of a body, comprising:
a hand-held imaging probe comprising a light emitting portion and an array of ultrasonic transducers; a processing system configured to receive data originating from the hand-held imaging probe and to process at least three independent images based at least in part upon said data, the three independent images together comprising:
a first functional image reflecting distribution of total hemoglobin concentration;
a second functional image reflecting distribution of blood oxygen saturation; and
a morphological image of tissue structures;
the processing system being further configured to substantially co-register the first functional image, the second functional image, and the morphological image in time and space, and to output a substantially co-registered image.

2 . The system of claim 1 , in which the light emitting portion and the array of ultrasonic transducers in the hand-held imaging probe are arranged in a generally flat linear shape.

3 . The system of claim 1 , in which the light emitting portion and the array of ultrasonic transducers in the hand-held imaging probe are arranged in a curved concave arc shape.

4 . The system of claim 1 , in which the hand-held imaging probe is configured to produce at least two optical beams, one on each side of the array of ultrasonic transducers, so as to deliver optical energy to a skin surface at such angle and such distance between them that the optical beams merge into one beam within a distance of skin thickness under the array of ultrasonic transducers.

5 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more dual-wavelength short-pulse lasers.

6 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of single-wavelength short pulse lasers.

7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a fiberoptic light delivery system.

8 . The system of claim 1 , in which the system is configured to present images substantially in real time by operating at a video frame rate.

9 . The system of claim 1 , in which the hand-held optoacoustic probe is configured to deliver optical energy from either under a face of said array of transducers or its side.

10 . The system of claim 1 , in which the hand-held imaging probe comprises an acoustic lens.

11 . The system of claim 10 , in which the acoustic lens comprises optically reflective materials.

12 . The system of claim 11 , in which the optically reflective materials comprise a thin, highly optically reflective metallic layer that removes image artifacts associated with light interactions with the acoustic lens.

13 . The system of claim 12 , in which the acoustic lens is formed from a white opaque material.

14 . The system of claim 12 , in which the thin, highly optically reflective metallic layer comprises aluminum, gold, or silver.

15 . The system of claim 1 , in which the hand-held imaging probe comprises an output fiber bundle with multiple sub-bundles.

16 . The system of claim 15 , in which said multiple sub-bundles are shaped to provide even illumination of the image plane and smooth illumination edges so as to reduce edge-related optoacoustic artifacts.

17 . The system of claim 1 , in which the array of ultrasonic transducers comprises ultrasonic transducers having an ultrawide ultrasonic frequency band of sensitivity, with bandwidth of up to 200% from the central frequency.

18 . The system of claim 1 , in which the hand-held imaging probe comprises an input fiber bundle that is circular in shape to match an incident laser beam.

19 . The system of claim 1 , in which the hand-held imaging probe comprises an input fiber bundle having a thermally fused fiber bundle tip such that substantially all fibers in the bundle are reshaped to avoid loss of light through spaces between fibers.

20 . The system of claim 1 , in which the hand-held imaging probe comprises a fiber bundle that is divided into at least two sub-bundles, with fibers in each sub-bundle being randomized such that two neighboring fibers at an input appear in different sub-bundles of the output fiber bundle.

21 .- 36 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Seno Medical Instr Inc

Inventors

• Oraevsky Alexander A
• Ermilov Sergey A
• Conjusteau Andre
• Brecht Peter
• Nadvoretskiy Vyacheslav
• Su Richard
• Herzog Donald G
• Clingman Bryan
• Zalev Jason

Classifications

• A61B5/726

  using Wavelet transforms · CPC title

• A61B8/0891

  for diagnosis of blood vessels · CPC title

• A61B8/5261

  combining images from different diagnostic modalities, e.g. ultrasound and X-ray · CPC title

• A61B8/085

  for locating body or organic structures, e.g. tumours, calculi, blood vessels, nodules · CPC title

• A61B8/4416 Primary

  related to combined acquisition of different diagnostic modalities, e.g. combination of ultrasound and X-ray acquisitions · CPC title