Miniature ultrasound probes for diagnostic imaging in the esophagus

临床环境中常规使用的超声技术采用标准配置的设备，用于广泛的应用。虽然这对于使用体外探头的常规成像是足够的，但是仍然存在许多当前标准配置和图像分辨率不令人满意的临床设置，例如，对食管壁进行成像以用于诊断和引导介入。该研究计划解决了在创建微型探头和实施组织弹性成像技术用于食管微超声（高分辨率）成像的工程和科学挑战。使用高频换能器阵列的微超声成像由于较短的波长而提供更好的分辨率，但是以增加的衰减和减小的图像深度为代价。这种权衡可以通过将微型超声探头放置在感兴趣的部位来克服，在这种情况下，是一种经过6 mm内窥镜端口安装并定位以成像食管壁的螺旋换能器阵列。微型微型超声探头成为可能，因为设备尺寸与波长成比例，但微尺度尺寸引入了制造挑战。常规成像频率下的超声弹性成像现在常规用于检测组织中的病变。为了使高分辨率弹性成像具有令人满意的信噪比，必须克服用于测量组织硬度的压缩脉冲的增加的衰减。* 我们的假设是，这些挑战可以通过使用高性能压电晶体复合材料来克服，以增加微型高频阵列的输出功率，并结合先进的电气互连技术，最大限度地减少探头中互连和布线所占用的体积。 * 本研究计划的具体目标是：* 1。创建集成到内窥镜探头中的微型超声波换能器阵列 * 2.为了实现高分辨率超声弹性成像技术，用于测量组织硬度与微型超声探头 * 该研究的长期目标是开发一个平台技术，用于制造微型超声探头和组织表征技术，有可能在生物医学成像的许多应用中采用。

Ultrasound technologies used routinely in clinical contexts employ standard configurations of devices for a broad range of applications. While this is sufficient for conventional imaging using extracorporeal probes, there are remain many clinical settings for which the current standard configurations and image resolution are unsatisfactory, for example, imaging the esophageal wall for diagnosis and guiding intervention. This research programme addresses the engineering and scientific challenges in creating miniaturised probes and implementing tissue elastography techniques for micro-ultrasound (high resolution) imaging of the esophagus.***Micro-ultrasound imaging, using high frequency transducer arrays, affords better resolution because of the shorter wavelength, but at the cost of increased attenuation and decreased image depth. This trade-off can be overcome by placing a micro-ultrasound probe at the site of interest, in this case, a miniaturised transducer array that fits through a 6-mm endoscope port and positioned to image the wall of the esophagus. Miniature micro-ultrasound probes become possible because device dimensions scale with the wavelength, but the micro-scale dimensions introduce fabrication challenges. Ultrasound elastography at conventional imaging frequencies is now routinely used for detecting lesions in tissue. In order for high resolution elastography to have satisfactory signal-to-noise ratio, the increased attenuation of the compressing pulses used to measuring tissue stiffness must be overcome. ***Our hypothesis is that these challenges can be overcome using high performance piezocrystal composites to increase output power from miniature high frequency arrays, combined with advanced electrical interconnect technique that minimise the volume occupied by the interconnects and cabling in a probe. ***The specific aims of this research programme are: ***1. To create miniature, micro-ultrasound transducer arrays integrated into endoscopic probes ***2. To implement high resolution ultrasound elastography techniques for measuring tissue stiffness with the micro-ultrasound probes***The long term goal of the research is to develop a platform technology for fabrication of miniature ultrasound probes and tissue characterisation techniques, with potential for adoption across many applications in biomedical imaging.