Electrical network for photoacoustic-ultrasonic probe, and photoacoustic-ultrasonic probe having same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025380874-A1
Application number	US-202519182302-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 17, 2025
Priority date	Oct 17, 2022
Publication date	Dec 18, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure proposes a new circuit concept which may solve a problem of voltage signal level imbalance between photoacoustic and ultrasonic signals when data is collected in relation to a conventional single-element ultrasonic transducer-based, mechanical scanning integrated optical-resolution photoacoustic and ultrasonic endoscope, a mini-probe, or a catheter device and a concept which may effectively trigger a data collection device, that is, a digitizer, without losing relevant data.

First claim

1 . An electric circuit for a photoacoustic-ultrasonic probe, the electric circuit comprising:
an ultrasonic T/R switch configured to receive a signal from an ultrasonic transducer; an ultrasonic signal variable amplifier configured to amplify a received ultrasonic signal; a photoacoustic signal variable amplifier configured to amplify a received photoacoustic signal; and a first RF switch configured to receive a signal from the ultrasonic T/R switch and transmit the signal to the ultrasonic variable amplifier and the photoacoustic signal variable amplifier.

2 . The electric circuit for the photoacoustic-ultrasonic probe of claim 1 , further comprising a second RF switch configured to receive signals from the ultrasonic signal variable amplifier and the photoacoustic signal variable amplifier.

3 . The electric circuit for the photoacoustic-ultrasonic probe of claim 1 , wherein the first RF switch is configured to transmit an ultrasonic signal received from the ultrasonic T/R switch to the ultrasonic signal variable amplifier, and transmit a photoacoustic signal received from the ultrasonic T/R switch to the photoacoustic signal variable amplifier.

4 . The electric circuit for the photoacoustic-ultrasonic probe of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic T/R switch is configured to receive a signal while switching between a high impedance mode and a low impedance mode.

5 . The electric circuit for the photoacoustic-ultrasonic probe of claim 4 , wherein the ultrasonic T/R switch is configured to alternately operate in the high impedance mode and the low impedance mode.

6 . The electric circuit for the photoacoustic-ultrasonic probe of claim 1 , wherein a voltage level of an ultrasonic signal amplified by the ultrasonic signal variable amplifier corresponds to a voltage level of a photoacoustic signal amplified by the photoacoustic signal variable amplifier.

7 . The electric circuit for the photoacoustic-ultrasonic probe of claim 1 , further comprising a digitizer configured to receive and collect a signal from the second RF switch.

8 . A photoacoustic-ultrasonic probe comprising:
the electric circuit for the photoacoustic-ultrasonic probe of claim 1 ; a pulser configured to generate an electric pulse of a high voltage; and an ultrasonic transducer configured to receive the electric pulse from the pulser, emit an ultrasonic wave, and detect a reflected wave.

9 . The photoacoustic-ultrasonic probe of claim 8 , wherein the ultrasonic transducer is further configured to detect a photoacoustic signal reflected from a subject toward which a laser pulse is emitted.

10 . The photoacoustic-ultrasonic probe of claim 8 , further comprising a low-noise preamplifier interposed between the ultrasonic transducer and the ultrasonic T/R switch.

11 . The photoacoustic-ultrasonic probe of claim 8 , further comprising a low-noise preamplifier interposed between the ultrasonic T/R switch and the first RF switch.

Assignees

• Ulsan Nat Inst Science & Tech Unist

Inventors

• Yang Joon-Mo

Classifications

• G01S15/899

  Combination of imaging systems with ancillary equipment · CPC title

• A61B5/6852

  Catheters · CPC title

• G01S7/52087

  using synchronization techniques (control of medical diagnostic ultrasound devices involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal A61B8/543) · CPC title

• A61B5/0095 Primary

  by applying light and detecting acoustic waves, i.e. photoacoustic measurements · CPC title

• A61B8/08

  Clinical applications (A61B8/02, A61B8/04, A61B8/06 take precedence) · CPC title