Lewis-Thompson India, Zhang Edward Z, Beard Paul C, Desjardins Adrien E, Colchester Richard J
Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
Wellcome/EPSRC Centre for Interventional and Surgical Sciences, University College London, Charles Bell House, Foley Street, London, W1W 7TY, UK.
Biomed Opt Express. 2023 Jul 11;14(8):4052-4064. doi: 10.1364/BOE.494878. eCollection 2023 Aug 1.
All-optical ultrasound (OpUS) is an imaging paradigm that uses light to both generate and receive ultrasound, and has progressed from benchtop to studies in recent years, demonstrating promise for minimally invasive surgical applications. In this work, we present a rapid pullback imaging catheter for side-viewing B-mode ultrasound imaging within the upper gastrointestinal tract. The device comprised an ultrasound transmitter configured to generate ultrasound laterally from the catheter and a plano-concave microresonator for ultrasound reception. This imaging probe was capable of generating ultrasound pressures in excess of 1 MPa with corresponding -6 dB bandwidths > 20 MHz. This enabled imaging resolutions as low as 45 µm and 120 µm in the axial and lateral extent respectively, with a corresponding signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 42 dB. To demonstrate the potential of the device for clinical imaging, an swine oesophagus was imaged using the working channel of a mock endoscope for device delivery. The full thickness of the oesophagus was resolved and several tissue layers were present in the resulting ultrasound images. This work demonstrates the promise for OpUS to provide rapid diagnostics and guidance alongside conventional endoscopy.
全光学超声（OpUS）是一种成像模式，它利用光来产生和接收超声，并且近年来已从实验室研究发展到实际应用研究，显示出在微创外科手术应用中的潜力。在这项工作中，我们展示了一种用于上消化道侧视B型超声成像的快速回撤成像导管。该设备包括一个超声发射器，其被配置为从导管侧向产生超声，以及一个用于超声接收的平凹微谐振器。这种成像探头能够产生超过1 MPa的超声压力，相应的 -6 dB带宽大于20 MHz。这使得轴向和横向范围的成像分辨率分别低至45 µm和120 µm，相应的信噪比（SNR）为42 dB。为了证明该设备在临床成像中的潜力，使用模拟内窥镜的工作通道对猪食管进行成像以输送该设备。食管的全层厚度得以分辨，并且在所得的超声图像中呈现出几个组织层。这项工作证明了全光学超声有望与传统内窥镜检查一起提供快速诊断和指导。
