LOW COST MULTI-MODAL ARRAY BASED SMALL ANIMAL SCANNER

描述(由申请人提供)：低成本高频(15、20和25 MHz)和高分辨率医学成像线性阵列换能器将在南加州大学NIH超声换能器技术资源中心的指导和设计下设计和建造用于商业销售。新开发的高性能超声扫描仪UltraVision具有完全在大型现场可编程门阵列芯片中实现高速数字功能的独特功能，将进行重新编程以适应传感器。UltraVision支持弹性成像和光声学的非常先进的功能，这些模式将在这些高频下继续发挥作用。该系统最初将针对小动物癌症肿瘤的形态和功能成像。动物研究将在德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校生物医学工程系的指导下进行，那里的副教授斯坦尼斯拉夫·埃米利亚诺夫已经指导了UltraVision的光声学和弹性成像设计。最初的目标是为研究人员提供一种可用于小型动物癌症研究的工具，从而降低科学和动物使用的成本。带来新的功能成像模式也将增加癌症检测和分期的特异性。长期目标是开发一种仪器，能够支持使用抗体结合的纳米粒子进行分子特异性成像的新兴领域。由于纳米粒子的灵敏度、合成其光谱吸收的能力以及其无毒性，这一新的光声成像领域非常引人注目。换能器将按照研究人员Cannata博士和Shung博士已知的2-2压电复合材料设计建造，并转移到WinProbe，在那里它们将被设置成批量建造，以便商业化。对UltraVision的修改将在很大程度上以超高速集成电路硬件描述语言进行，这不是一项简单的任务，但它是满足以所需速度和成本执行功能的需求的唯一方法。声线将通过隔行扫描和互相关来形成，以实现非常高的分辨率性能。由于UltraVision医用超声系统正在商业化，用于乳腺癌歧视和血栓老化，其从生产量中节省的价格将分享到研究环境中。 与公众健康相关：该项目为一种新开发和独特设计的医用超声扫描仪开发高频换能器，以成像微小的解剖结构并显示其功能。最初的目标是用于小动物癌症的研究，它的未来被认为是在新兴的人类前哨淋巴结功能成像领域，与癌症附着纳米颗粒的对比。对系统的修改将设计为使扫描仪保持非常低的设备成本。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Low cost high frequency (15, 20 and 25 MHz), and high resolution medical imaging linear array transducers will be designed and constructed for commercial sale under the direction and design of the NIH Resource Center for Ultrasonic Transducer Technology at the University of Southern California. A newly developed high performance ultrasonic scanner, the UltraVision, with the unique feature of having its high speed digital functions entirely within a large Field Programmable Gate Array chip, will be reprogrammed to accommodate the transducers. The UltraVision supports the very advanced features of elastography and optoacoustics and these modes will continue to be functional at these high frequencies. The system will initially be targeted to the morphological and functional imaging of cancer tumors in small animals. The animal studies will be under the direction of the Biomedical Engineering Department of the University of Texas at Austin where Associate Professor Stanislav Emelianov has already guided the UltraVision's design of optoacoustics and elastography. The initial aim is to provide researchers with an accessible tool for cancer research in small animals that will reduce the cost of the science and animal usage. Bringing the new modalities of functional imaging will also increase the specificity of cancer detection and staging. The long term goal is to develop an instrument that will be capable of supporting the emerging field of molecular specific imaging with antibody conjugated nano particles. This new field of optoacoustic imaging of nano particles is very compelling due to their sensitivity, the ability to synthesize their optical spectral absorption, and their non-toxicity. The transducers will be constructed on a 2-2 piezocomposite design known to the investigators Drs. Cannata and Shung and transferred to WinProbe where they will be set up for construction in volumes to be commercialized. The modification to the UltraVision will be largely performed in Very High Speed Integrated Circuit Hardware Description Language, which is not a simple task but it is the only method of accommodating the needs of performing the functions at the required speeds and costs. The acoustic lines will be formed by interlacing and cross-correlation to achieve a very high resolution performance. As the UltraVision Medical Ultrasound System is being commercialized for Breast cancer discrimination and the ageing of thrombi, its price savings from production volume will be shared into the research environment. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This project develops high frequency transducers for a newly developed and uniquely designed medical ultrasonic scanner to image small anatomical structures and to display their functionality. Initially targeted for use in the research of cancer with small animals, its future is seen in the emerging field of functional imaging of the human sentinel lymph nodes with contrast of cancer attaching nano particles. The modifications to the system will be designed to preserve the scanners very low equipment cost.