Miniature ultrasound probes for diagnostic imaging in the esophagus

在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针的常规成像已经足够了，但在许多临床环境中，目前的标准配置和图像分辨率仍不能令人满意，例如，对食管壁进行成像以进行诊断和指导干预。该研究计划解决了在创建微型探针和实施食管微超声（高分辨率）成像的组织弹性成像技术方面的工程和科学挑战。使用高频换能器阵列的微超声成像，由于波长较短，提供了更好的分辨率，但代价是衰减增加和图像深度降低。这种权衡可以通过在感兴趣的部位放置一个微型超声探头来克服，在这种情况下，一个小型化的换能器阵列可以穿过一个6毫米的内窥镜端口，并定位到食管壁成像。由于器件尺寸随波长的变化而变化，微型微型超声探头成为可能，但微型尺寸带来了制造方面的挑战。超声弹性成像在常规成像频率现在常规用于检测病变的组织。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刚度的压缩脉冲衰减增加的问题。我们的假设是，这些挑战可以通过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，最大限度地减少探针中互连和电缆占用的体积。本研究方案的具体目标是：1。创造微型微型超声换能器阵列集成到内窥镜探头中。该研究的长期目标是开发一种用于制造微型超声探头和组织表征技术的平台技术，具有在生物医学成像中的许多应用的潜力。

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 probesThe 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.