Opt Lett. 2022 May 15;47(10):2418-2421. doi: 10.1364/OL.458274.
Photoacoustic/ultrasound (PA/US) dual-modality imaging has been evolving rapidly for the last two decades. Handheld PA/US probes with different implementations have attracted particular attention due to their convenience and high applicability. However, developing a volumetric dual-modality PA/US imaging probe with a compact design remains a challenge. Here, we develop a handheld volumetric PA/US imaging probe with a special light-ultrasound coupling design and an internal scanning mechanism. A coaxial design for the excitation and detection paths in a customized 3D-printed housing with a size of 110 × 90 × 64 mm is proposed to optimize the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the handheld probe for deep tissue imaging. Two parallel and synchronously rotational acoustic reflectors allow for volumetric imaging with an effective field of view (FOV) of more than 30 mm × 20 mm × 8 mm. In addition to simulation and phantom validations, in vivo human trials are successfully carried out, demonstrating the high imaging quality and stability of the system for potential clinical translations.
在过去的二十年中，光声/超声（PA/US）双模成象技术发展迅速。由于其便利性和高适用性，具有不同实现方式的手持式 PA/US 探头引起了特别关注。然而，开发具有紧凑设计的体积双模 PA/US 成像探头仍然是一个挑战。在这里，我们开发了一种具有特殊光声耦合设计和内部扫描机构的手持式体积 PA/US 成像探头。提出了一种用于定制的 3D 打印外壳中的激励和检测路径的同轴设计，外壳尺寸为 110×90×64mm，以优化用于深层组织成像的手持式探头的信噪比（SNR）。两个平行且同步旋转的声学反射器允许进行体积成像，有效视野（FOV）超过 30mm×20mm×8mm。除了模拟和体模验证外，还成功进行了体内人体试验，证明了该系统具有高成像质量和稳定性，具有潜在的临床转化前景。
