Department of Electrical Engineering, Convergence IT Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Medical Device Innovation Center, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea.
Opticho Inc., Pohang 37673 Republic of Korea.
Sci Adv. 2024 Nov 22;10(47):eadq9960. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adq9960.
Dual-mode photoacoustic/ultrasound endoscopy (ePAUS) is a promising tool for preclinical and clinical interventions. To be clinically useful, ePAUS must deliver high-performance ultrasound imaging comparable to commercial systems and maintain high photoacoustic imaging performance at long working distances. This requires a transducer with an intact physical aperture and coaxial alignment of acoustic and optical beams within the probe, a challenging integration task. We present a high-performance ePAUS probe with a miniaturized, optically transparent ultrasonic transducer (TUT) called ePAUS-TUT. The 1.8-mm-diameter probe, fitting into standard endoscopic channels, aligns acoustic and optical beams efficiently, achieving commercial-level ultrasound and high-resolution photoacoustic imaging over long distances. These imaging capabilities were validated through in vivo imaging of a rat's rectum and a pig's esophagus. The ePAUS-TUT system substantially enhances feasibility and potential for clinical applications.
双模光声/超声内窥镜（ePAUS）是一种很有前途的临床前和临床介入工具。为了在临床上有用，ePAUS 必须提供与商业系统相媲美的高性能超声成像，并在长工作距离下保持高的光声成像性能。这需要一个具有完整物理孔径的换能器，并在探头内实现声学和光学光束的同轴对准，这是一个具有挑战性的集成任务。我们提出了一种具有称为 ePAUS-TUT 的小型化、光学透明超声换能器（TUT）的高性能 ePAUS 探头。该直径为 1.8 毫米的探头可插入标准内窥镜通道，有效地对准声学和光学光束，实现了商业级别的超声和远距离高分辨率光声成像。通过对大鼠直肠和猪食管的体内成像验证了这些成像能力。ePAUS-TUT 系统极大地提高了临床应用的可行性和潜力。
