Optically transparent ultrasound transducers for combined ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging: A review

Shunghun Park; Jin Ho Chang

doi:10.7776/ASK.2023.42.5.441

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2023 Vol.42, Issue 5 Preview Page Next Page

Research Article

Optically transparent ultrasound transducers for combined ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging: A review 초음파-광음향 융합 영상을 위한 투명 초음파 변환기

30 September 2023. pp. 441-451

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Abstract

Ultrasound transducers are an essential component of combined photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging systems and play an important role in image evaluation. However, ultrasound transducers are opaque; therefore, light must bypass the ultrasound transducer to reach the target point to produce a photoacoustic image. Providing different paths for the optical and acoustic signals results in a complicated system design, increasing the system volume. To overcome these problems, an optically Transparent Ultrasound Transducer (TUT) was developed. Unlike conventional opaque ultrasound transducers, optically TUT can be fabricated by a variety of manufacturing methods and they are suitable for use with specific piezoelectric elements and serve various purposes. In this study, a comparative analysis of the results of using Lithium Niobate (LNO), Lead Magnesium Niobate-Lead Titanate (PMN-PT), and Polyvinylidene Difluoride (PVDF), which are materials used in piezoelectric element-based TUT. LNO is a piezoelectric element widely used in TUT, and PMN-PT has been actively studied recently with a higher transmission and reception rate than LNO. Existing TUT have lower ultrasound resolution than photoacoustic resolution, but they have recently been manufacturing focused TUT with high ultrasound resolution using PVDF. A comparative analysis of the production results of these TUT was performed.

Keywords

Transparent Ultrasound Transducer (TUT)

Lithium Niobate (LNO)

Lead Magnesium Niobate-Lead Titanate (PMN-PT)

Polyvinylidene Difluoride (PVDF)

Indium-Tin Oxide (ITO)

초음파 변환기는 광음향 및 초음파 영상 조합과 영상 평가에 있어 필수 구성 요소이다. 그러나 기존의 초음파 변환기는 불투명하여 광음향 영상을 획득하기 위해서는 광이 초음파 변환기를 우회 해야한다. 동축 정렬이 없다면 광 도달 영역이 제한되고 이를 해결하기 위해 복잡한 구성으로 시스템의 부피가 커지는 문제가 있다. 이러한 문제점을 극복하기 위해 광학적으로 투명한 초음파 변환기를 개발하기 위해 다양한 접근 방법이 연구되었다. 기존의 불투명한 초음파 변환기와 다르게 광학적으로 투명한 초음파 변환기는 특정 압전소자와 용도에 맞는 다양한 제작 방법이 존재한다. 본 연구에서 압전소자 기반의 투명 초음파 변환기에 사용되는 재료로 Lithium Niobate(LNO), Lead Magnesium Niobate-Lead Titanate(PMN-PT), Polyvinylidene Difluoride(PVDF)를 사용한 결과를 비교하였다. LNO는 투명 초음파 변환기에서 많이 사용되는 압전소자이고, PMN-PT는 LNO보다 높은 송수신율로 최근 활발히 연구되고 있다. 기존 투명 변환기는 광음향 해상도보다 초음파 해상도가 낮지만, 최근 PVDF를 사용하여 높은 초음파 해상도의 투명 집속초음파 변환기를 제작하고 있다. 이러한 투명 초음파 변환기 제작 결과에 대한 비교 분석을 수행하였다.

키워드

투명 초음파 변환기

Lithium niobate (LNO)

Lead Magnesium Niobate-Lead Titanate (PMN-PT)

Polyvinylidene Difluoride (PVDF)

Indium-Tin Oxide (ITO)

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Information

Publisher :The Acoustical Society of Korea
Publisher(Ko) :한국음향학회
Journal Title :The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
Journal Title(Ko) :한국음향학회지
Volume : 42
No :5
Pages :441-451
Received Date : 2023-07-25
Accepted Date : 2023-09-21
DOI :https://doi.org/10.7776/ASK.2023.42.5.441

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of KoreaISSN:1225-4428(Print) 2287-3775(Online)한국음향학회

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