Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam;Stichting Voor De Technische Wetenschappen
发明人:
Gijs Van Soest,Verya Daeichin,Antonius Franciscus Wilhelmus Van Der Steen
申请号：
GB201502101
公开号：
GB2539368A
申请日:
2015.02.09
申请国别(地区):
GB
年份:
2016
代理人:
摘要：
A catheter-based imaging apparatus comprises a catheter 81； an optical emitter 82 at a distal portion 81c configured to emit optical excitation signals； one or more ultrasound transducers 86, 87 at its distal end configured to transmit acoustic excitation signals, and to detect ultrasound response signals from an object of interest at frequencies which include a lower receive frequency at least as low as 10 MHz and a higher receive frequency at least as high as 35 MHz. The ultrasound transducers are thereby configured to detect response signals comprising photoacoustic response signals from the object of interest (e.g. a circumferential section of a vessel or lumen wall) at the lower receive frequency and high resolution imaging signals at the higher receive frequency. The lower frequency transducer can be a piezoelectric polymer (e.g. PVDF or PVTrF) or composite transducer, and the higher frequency transducer can be a piezoelectric ceramic (e.g. PZT or PMN-PT). The high and low frequency transducers can be on a common substrate, or can be integrated in a single extended range transducer. A method of using the apparatus to obtain intravascular photoacoustic image data is also disclosed.
