title: Integrated intravascular ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging scan head.
abstract: The combination of intravascular ultrasound and intravascular photoacoustic imaging has been proposed for improving the diagnosis of arterial diseases. We describe a novel scan-head design for implementing such multimodality imaging. The proposed device has the potential to achieve a sufficiently small size for clinical intravascular applications. The design aims for efficient image data acquisition for facilitating real-time three-dimensional imaging and reducing the required laser pulse repetition frequency. The integrated scan head consists of a single-element, ring-shaped transducer for sideward ultrasound transmission, a multimode fiber with a cone-shaped mirror for optical illumination, and a single polymer microring with mechanical scanning. The phantom imaging and some experimental results are presented. A microring array can be realized in the future to achieve high-frame-rate intravascular multimodality imaging.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Bao-Yu
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Sung-Liang
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.forename: L Jay
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Pai-Chi
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011137:Polystyrenes; D018511:Systems Integration; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D011137:Polystyrenes