Portable probe for photoacoustic tomography and real-time photoacoustic tomography device

Abstract

The present invention relates to: a portable probe for photoacoustic tomography, capable of performing line-by-line scanning or area-by-area scanning by using a small number of light inputs; and a real-time photoacoustic tomography device. The probe for photoacoustic tomography includes: a lens receiving light inputs from an optical fiber so as to make the same proceed as small diameter parallel light; a Powell lens receiving the small diameter parallel light and generating a line beam of a predetermined thickness, and allowing energy dispersed on a line to be uniform on the entire line; a lens making the line beam pass therethrough such that the line beam has a predetermined width and a reduced thickness so as to be line-focused at a target area; an acoustic reflection glass for separating, from a light path, an acoustic wave outputted from the target area; and an acoustic measurement unit for measuring acoustic strength.

1 . A probe for photoacoustic tomography comprising:
 a Powell lens receiving the small diameter parallel light so as to generate a line beam with uniform energy distribution;   a lens making the line beam pass therethrough such that the line beam has a predetermined width and a reduced thickness so as to be line-focused at a target area; and   an acoustic measurement unit receiving an acoustic wave outputted from the target area,   wherein the line beam outputted from the Powell lens is a beam having a predetermined thickness and a width increased by a predetermined angle with respect to the center line of a plane, the lens has a cylinder lens shaped of a cylinder having a rectangular cross-section and having an output end having a rectangular shape when viewed from one side and a convex shape when viewed from the other side, and the cylinder lens allows the line beam outputted from the Powell lens to pass therethrough to generate parallel light having a predetermined width and a predetermined thickness in a beam traveling direction.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The probe of  claim 1 , wherein the Powell lens includes a pair of Powell lenses spaced a predetermined distance apart from each other and receiving light inputs as parallel light beams so as to generate line beams, respectively, and the lens includes a first cylinder lens allowing the respective line beams to pass therethrough so as to generate the respective parallel light beams having a predetermined width and a predetermined thickness, and a second cylinder lens allowing the respective parallel light beams to pass therethrough so as to be line-focused at the target area as a single line beam,
 wherein the first cylinder lens and the second cylinder lens are arranged such that convex portions thereof are rotated at 90 degrees with respect to the central axis of the beam traveling direction and face each other.   
     
     
         4 . The probe of  claim 3 , wherein the first cylinder lens and the second cylinder lens are arranged such that convex portions thereof are rotated at 90 degrees with respect to the central axis of the beam traveling direction and face each other. 
     
     
         5 . The probe of  claim 3 , wherein the acoustic measurement unit is placed on a line bisecting a space between the respective parallel light beams on center lines of the parallel light beams. 
     
     
         6 . The probe of  claim 1 , further comprising a reflection plane located at a side of the target area to allow the acoustic wave outputted from the target area to be incident to the acoustic measurement unit by allowing the incident light to pass therethrough and changing a traveling path of the acoustic wave. 
     
     
         7 . The probe of  claim 3 , wherein the second lens includes a variable focus lens capable of controlling a focusing depth within a tissue, on which the line beam is focused, at the target area. 
     
     
         8 . A probe for photoacoustic tomography comprising:
 a Powell lens receiving a light input as small diameter parallel light so as to generate a line beam having a uniform energy distribution;   a lens allowing the line beam to pass therethrough so as to generate parallel light having a predetermined width and a predetermined thickness;   a light path changing unit along the parallel light to pass therethrough so as to be area-focused at a target area; and   an acoustic measurement unit receiving an acoustic wave outputted from the target area,   wherein the line beam outputted from the Powell lens is a beam having a predetermined thickness and a width increased by a predetermined angle with respect to the center line of a plane, the lens has a cylinder lens shaped of a cylinder having a rectangular cross-section and having an output end having a rectangular shape when viewed from one side and a convex shape when viewed from the other side, and the cylinder lens allows the line beam outputted from the Powell lens to pass therethrough to generate parallel light having a predetermined width and a predetermined thickness in a beam traveling direction.   
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . The probe of  claim 8 , wherein the light path changing unit comprises: a beam splitter member splitting one single parallel light beam into a first parallel light beam and a second parallel light beam; and a pair of light path changing members changing light paths of the first parallel light beam and the second parallel light beam so as to be area-focused at the target area. 
     
     
         11 . The probe of  claim 10 , wherein the beam splitter member includes a pair of prisms having acute angle portions adjoining each other. 
     
     
         12 . The probe of  claim 10 , wherein each of the light path changing members includes a pair of prisms having right-angled faces facing each other. 
     
     
         13 . The probe of  claim 10 , wherein the acoustic measurement unit is positioned between the pair of light path changing members. 
     
     
         14 . The probe of  claim 10 , wherein the beam splitter member includes a pair of prisms having acute angle portions adjoining each other, each of the light path changing members includes a pair of prisms having right-angled faces facing each other, and focusing depths in a tissue focused in the target area are controlled by adjusting positions or angles of at least one of the prisms included in the beam splitter member and the light path changing members. 
     
     
         15 . The probe of  claim 10 , wherein when the line beam having a uniform energy distribution by the Powell lens is split into beams of two light paths by the beam splitter member and then area-focused, the split beams have a uniform energy distribution on the entire focusing area. 
     
     
         16 . A probe for photoacoustic tomography comprising:
 a pair of Powell lenses spaced a predetermined distance apart from each other and receiving light inputs as parallel light beams so as to generate line beams, respectively;   a cylinder lens allowing the respective line beams to pass therethrough so as to generate the respective parallel light beams having a predetermined width and a predetermined thickness;   a pair of light path changing members changing light paths of the parallel light beams to then be area-focused at the target area; and   an acoustic measurement unit receiving an acoustic wave outputted from the target area,   wherein the line beam outputted from the Powell lens is a beam having a predetermined thickness and a width increased by a predetermined angle with respect to the center line of a plane, the lens has a cylinder lens shaped of a cylinder having a rectangular cross-section and having an output end having a rectangular shape when viewed from one side and a convex shape when viewed from the other side, and the cylinder lens allows the line beam outputted from the Powell lens to pass therethrough to generate parallel light having a predetermined width and a predetermined thickness in a beam traveling direction.   
     
     
         17 . The probe of  claim 16 , wherein the acoustic measurement unit is positioned between the pair of light path changing members. 
     
     
         18 . The probe of  claim 16 , wherein the pair of light path changing members are spaced apart from each other and include a pair of prisms having right-angled faces facing each other. 
     
     
         19 . The probe of  claim 18 , wherein focusing depths in a tissue focused in the target area are controlled by adjusting positions or angles of at least one of the prisms included in the beam splitter member and the light path changing members. 
     
     
         20 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . The probe of  claim 1 , wherein the acoustic measurement unit includes an array of a plurality of linear ultrasonic transducers arranged linearly. 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . The probe of  claim 8 , wherein the light path changing unit allows the parallel light to pass therethrough to generate a line bessel beam so as to be area-focused at the target area shaped of a rectangle having a width formed by the cylinder lens and a depth formed in an optical axis direction.