IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
공개
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국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
US-0712117
(2012-12-12)
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공개번호 |
US-0102875
(2013-04-25)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
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출원인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
0 인용 특허 :
0 |
초록
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The prostate gland or other region of interest is stimulated with laser light, resulting in ultrasound waves (photoacoustic effect) which are focused by an acoustic lens and captured by a specific 1- or 2D sensor array and subsequently displayed as a C-scan on a computer screen. The amplitude of the
The prostate gland or other region of interest is stimulated with laser light, resulting in ultrasound waves (photoacoustic effect) which are focused by an acoustic lens and captured by a specific 1- or 2D sensor array and subsequently displayed as a C-scan on a computer screen. The amplitude of the ultrasound waves generated by laser stimulation is proportional to the optical absorption of the tissue element at that spatial location. Variability in tissue absorption results in C-scan image contrast. The photoacoustic imaging is combined with an ultrasound C-scan image produced with a plane ultrasound wave applied to the region of interest.
대표청구항
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1. A method for imaging a region of interest, the method comprising: (a) stimulating the region of interest with light from a light source to produce a set of ultrasound waves through a photoacoustic effect;(b) focusing the set of ultrasound waves through an acoustic lens to produce focused waves, t
1. A method for imaging a region of interest, the method comprising: (a) stimulating the region of interest with light from a light source to produce a set of ultrasound waves through a photoacoustic effect;(b) focusing the set of ultrasound waves through an acoustic lens to produce focused waves, the acoustic lens being configured such that said ultrasound waves originating at a single time at an object plane in the region of interest are focused onto an image plane and arrive at the image plane at times separated by no more than a time gate width so that all points in the object plane are focused simultaneously;(c) detecting the focused waves in a transducer while applying a time gate corresponding to the time gate width to produce time-gated photoacoustic signals, the time-gated photoacoustic signals providing at least one photoacoustic C-scan at any given period of time, step (c) being repeated multiple times to provide real-time imaging; and(d) imaging the region of interest from the at least one photoacoustic C-scan provided in steps step (c). 2. The method of claim 1, wherein, in step (a), the light comprises laser light from a laser light source. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the laser light is generated by a photodiode. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the light source comprises an optical fiber in communication with the laser light source. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein, during steps (a) and (b), the light source and the transducer are scanned relative to the region of interest. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the light source and the transducer are provided in a rigid assembly, and wherein the rigid assembly is scanned during steps (a) and (b). 7. The method of claim 5, wherein the light source and the transducer are scanned in two dimensions. 8. The method of claim 5, wherein the light source and the transducer are scanned in three dimensions. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the transducer comprises a transducer array. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the transducer array is a two-dimensional array. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein an optical fiber is used to deliver the light from the light source to the region of interest. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the region of interest is located in a living body. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the region of interest is located at least partially in a prostate. 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the region of interest is located at least partially in a breast. 15. The method of claim 12, wherein the region of interest is located at least partially in a pelvic region. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein, during steps (a) and (b), the light source and the transducer are inserted into a vagina. 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the region of interest is located in an in vitro environment. 18. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) is performed using a single or compound acoustic lens. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the acoustic lens comprises a biconcave lens. 20-21. (canceled) 22. A probe for imaging a region of interest, the probe comprising: a light source for stimulating the region of interest with light to produce a set of ultrasound waves through a photoacoustic effect;an acoustic lens for focusing the set of ultrasound waves through an acoustic lens to produce focused waves, the acoustic lens being configured such that said ultrasound waves originating at a single time at an object plane in the region of interest are focused onto an image plane and arrive at the image plane at times separated by no more than a time gate width so that all points in the object plane are focused simultaneously; anda transducer for detecting the focused waves while applying a time gate corresponding to the time gate width to produce time-gated photoacoustic signals, the time-gated photoacoustic signals providing at least one photoacoustic C-scan at any given period of time, said at least one photoacoustic C-scan being repeated multiple times to provide real-time imaging. 23. The probe of claim 22, further comprising a rigid assembly in which the light source and the transducer are provided. 24. The probe of claim 22, wherein the transducer comprises a transducer array. 25. The probe of claim 24, wherein the transducer array is a two-dimensional array. 26. The probe of claim 22, wherein the light source comprises a laser source. 27. The probe of claim 26, wherein the laser source comprises a photodiode. 28. The probe of claim 26, wherein the light source further comprises an optical fiber. 29. The probe of claim 22, wherein the acoustic lens comprises a single or compound acoustic lens. 30. The probe of claim 29, wherein the acoustic lens comprises a biconcave lens. 31. (canceled) 32. A method for imaging a region of interest, the method comprising: (a) receiving acoustic waves from the region of interest;(b) focusing the acoustic waves onto a two-dimensional detector array using an acoustic lens to detect the acoustic waves, the acoustic lens being configured such that said acoustic waves originating at a single time at an object plane in the region of interest are focused onto an image plane and arrive at the image plane at times separated by no more than a time gate width so that all points in the object plane are focused simultaneously; and(c) imaging the region of interest in accordance with the acoustic waves detected by the array. 33. The method of claim 32, wherein step (c) comprises time-gating the detected acoustic waves using a time gate corresponding to the time gate width such that a C-scan image is produced. 34. A system for imaging a region of interest, the system comprising: a two-dimensional detector array;an acoustic lens for receiving acoustic waves from the region of interest and for focusing the acoustic waves onto the two-dimensional detector array to detect the acoustic waves, the acoustic lens being configured such that said acoustic waves originating at a single time at an object plane in the region of interest are focused onto an image plane and arrive at the image plane at times separated by no more than a time gate width so that all points in the object plane are focused simultaneously; anda processor, in communication with the array, for imaging the region of interest in accordance with the acoustic waves detected by the array. 35. The system of claim 34, wherein the processor time-gates the detected acoustic waves using a time gate corresponding to the time gate width such that a C-scan image is produced. 36. A method for imaging a region of interest, the method comprising: (a) receiving acoustic waves from the region of interest;(b) focusing the acoustic waves using an acoustic lens onto a detector to detect the acoustic waves, the acoustic lens being configured such that said acoustic waves originating at a single time at an object plane in the region of interest are focused onto an image plane and arrive at the image plane at times separated by no more than a time gate width so that all points in the object plane are focused simultaneously;(c) time-gating the acoustic waves using a time gate corresponding to the time gate width to produce time-gated acoustic waves; and(d) performing a C-scan of the region of interest in accordance with the time-gated acoustic waves. 37. The method of claim 36, wherein the acoustic waves comprise photoacoustic waves. 38. The method of claim 36, wherein the acoustic waves comprise ultrasound waves. 39. (canceled) 40. The method of claim 36, wherein the detector comprises a 1D or 2D array. 41. A system for imaging a region of interest, the system comprising: a detector;an acoustic lens for receiving acoustic waves from the region of interest and for focusing the acoustic waves onto the detector to detect the acoustic waves, the acoustic lens being configured such that said acoustic waves originating at a single time at an object plane in the region of interest are focused onto an image plane and arrive at the image plane at times separated by no more than a time gate width so that all points in the object plane are focused simultaneously; anda processor for time-gating the acoustic waves using a time gate corresponding to the time gate width to produce time-gated acoustic waves and performing a C-scan of the region of interest in accordance with the time-gated acoustic waves. 42. The system of claim 41, wherein the detector comprises a 1D or 2D array. 43. A method for imaging a region of interest, the method comprising: (a) stimulating the region of interest with ultrasound radiation from an ultrasound source to produce a set of ultrasound waves reflected from the region of interest;(b) focusing the set of ultrasound waves through an acoustic lens to produce focused waves, the acoustic lens being configured such that said ultrasound waves originating at a single time at an object plane in the region of interest are focused onto an image plane and arrive at the image plane at times separated by no more than a time gate width so that all points in the object plane are focused simultaneously;(c) detecting the focused waves in a transducer while applying a time gate to produce time-gated ultrasound signals, the time-gated ultrasound signals providing at least one ultrasound C-scan at any given period of time, step (c) being repeated multiple times to provide said real-time imaging; and(d) imaging the region of interest from the at least one ultrasound C-scan provided in step (c). 44. The method of claim 43, wherein the transducer comprises a transducer array. 45. The method of claim 44, wherein the transducer array is a two-dimensional array. 46. The method of claim 43, wherein the region of interest is located in a living body. 47. The method of claim 46, wherein the region of interest is located at least partially in a prostate. 48. The method of claim 46, wherein the region of interest is located at least partially in a breast. 49. The method of claim 46, wherein the region of interest is located at least partially in a pelvic region. 50. The method of claim 43, wherein the region of interest is located in an in vitro environment. 51. The method of claim 43, wherein step (a) is performed using a single or compound acoustic lens. 52. The method of claim 51, wherein the acoustic lens comprises a biconcave lens. 53. The method of claim 43, wherein the ultrasound source comprises a plane wave generator of an acoustic wave. 54. A probe for imaging a region of interest, the probe comprising: an ultrasound source for stimulating the region of interest with ultrasound radiation to produce a set of ultrasound waves reflected from the region of interest;an acoustic lens for focusing the set of ultrasound waves through an acoustic lens to produce focused waves, the acoustic lens being configured such that said ultrasound waves originating at a single time at an object plane in the region of interest are focused onto an image plane and arrive at the image plane at times separated by no more than a time gate width so that all points in the object plane are focused simultaneously; anda transducer for detecting the focused set of waves while applying a time gate to produce time-gated ultrasound signals, the time-gated ultrasound signals providing at least one ultrasound C-scan at any given period of time, said at least one ultrasound C-scan being repeated multiple times to provide said real-time imaging. 55. The probe of claim 54, wherein the transducer comprises a transducer array. 56. The probe of claim 54, wherein the transducer array is a two-dimensional array. 57. The probe of claim 54, wherein the acoustic lens comprises a single or compound acoustic lens. 58. The probe of claim 57, wherein the acoustic lens comprises a biconcave lens. 59. The probe of claim 54, wherein the ultrasound source comprises a plane wave generator of an acoustic wave.
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