Probe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9662020-B2
Application number	US-201414449500-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2014
Priority date	Feb 3, 2012
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

An acoustic wave detector that detects an acoustic wave from a subject, an optical fiber that guides light emitted from a light source to a probe body, and a light guide member that guides light from a light entrance end, which is optically coupled to the optical fiber, to a light exit end, which is located in the vicinity of the acoustic wave detector, are provided. The light guide member is secured in the probe body with a securing material provided at least partially around the light guide member. The conditional expression below is satisfied:

sin −1 ( n 2/ n 1)×(180°/π)<90°−θ i

where n1 is a refractive index of the light guide member, n2 is a refractive index of the securing material, and θi is a spread angle of incoming light from the optical fiber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A probe comprising:
an acoustic wave detector that detects at least an acoustic wave from the subject;
an optical fiber that guides light emitted from a light source to a probe body; and
a light guide member that guides light from a light entrance end to a light exit end and applies light to an interior of the subject, the light entrance end being optically coupled to the optical fiber and the light exit end being located in the vicinity of the acoustic wave detector,
wherein the light guide member is secured in the probe body with a securing material provided at least partially around the light guide member, and
the conditional expression below is satisfied:
sin −1 ( n 2/ n 1)×(180°/π)<90°−θ i,

where n1 is a refractive index of the light guide member, n2 is a refractive index of the securing material, and θi is a spread angle of light entering the light entrance end from the optical fiber.

2. The probe as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the light guide member is at least partially made of glass.

3. The probe as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the securing material is made of a fluorine resin material.

4. The probe as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the securing material is made of tetrafluoroethylene-perfluorodioxole copolymer.

5. The probe as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the securing material is made of a fluorosilicone rubber.

6. The probe as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the securing material is made of a low-refractive index silicone resin or a methyl silicone resin having a refractive index lower than the refractive index of the light guide member.

7. The probe as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the light exit end of the light guide member is covered with the securing material.

8. The probe as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the light guide member comprises a first light guide member that guides light emitted from the light source, and a second light guide member that diffuses and guides the light guided by the first light guide member to the vicinity of the acoustic wave detector.

9. The probe as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the second light guide member comprises a light diffusing member that diffuses incoming light, the light diffusing member being disposed on the side where light from the first light guide member enters.

10. The probe as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the conditional expression below is satisfied:
sin −1 ( n 2/ n 3)×(180°/π)<90°−θ d,

where n3 is a refractive index of the second light guide member, θ1 is a diffusion angle of the light diffusing member, and θd is (θi 2 +θ1 2 ) 1/2 .

11. The probe as claimed in claim 8 , wherein at least the second light guide member of the first and second light guide members is secured with the securing material.

12. The probe as claimed in claim 8 , wherein only the second light guide member of the first and second light guide members is secured with the securing material.

13. The probe as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the securing material is provided to extend over a side surface of the light guide member between the light entrance end and the light exit end.

14. The probe as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the securing material is provided to extend over a side surface of the light guide member between the light exit end and a position away from the light exit end by a predetermined distance.

15. The probe as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the predetermined distance is not more than ⅓ of a distance between the light entrance end and the light exit end.

16. The probe as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the securing material is provided between the light guide member and a case forming the probe body or a case provided in the probe body.

17. The probe as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the light guide member is secured with the securing member between a case forming the probe body or a case provided in the probe body and a holding member that holds the acoustic wave detector.

18. The probe as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the acoustic wave detector is attached to the holding member after the light guide member is secured with the securing member.

19. A probe comprising:
an acoustic wave detector that detects at least an acoustic wave from the subject;
an optical fiber that guides light emitted from a light source to a probe body; and
a light guide member that guides light from a light entrance end to a light exit end and applies light to an interior of the subject, the light entrance end being optically coupled to the optical fiber and the light exit end being located in the vicinity of the acoustic wave detector,
wherein the light guide member is secured in the probe body with a securing material provided at least partially around the light guide member between the light entrance end and a position away from the light entrance end by a distance h, wherein h=d/tan(θi), where d is a distance from a position where the optical fiber is coupled to the light entrance end to a side surface of the light guide member, and θi is a spread angle of light entering the light entrance end from the optical fiber.

20. The probe as claimed in claim 19 , wherein an area of the side surface other than an area corresponding to the distance h from the light entrance end of the light guide member is covered with a layer of air.

Assignees

• Fujifilm Corp

Inventors

• Irisawa Kaku
• Abe Takeya

Classifications

• A61B5/0095 Primary

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