Laser ultrasound probe and ablator

Abstract

Abstract A laser ultrasound probe, suitable for intravascular use, of the kind having an ultrasonic transducer element comprising an ultrasound receiving surface of piezoelectric polymeric material and an optical fiber with one end directed forwardly from that surface and arranged to receive laser radiation for transmission through the optical fiber and emission from the said one end thereof, wherein the optical fiber is coupled with laser source means adapted to provide alternatively a relatively low average power laser beam, which, when modulated or pulsed and emitted from the one end of the optical fiber and incident on a target, will generate ultrasound at an intensity suitable to be received by the transducer element and converted thereby into electrical monitoring signals, and a relatively high average power laser beam suitable, when incident on the said target, to produce ablation thereof, the transducer element being sufficiently robust to withstand the ultrasound which is then also generated. The relatively low average power laser beam may alternatively be at a first wavelength which, when modulated or pulsed and emitted from the one end of the optical fiber into a medium which is highly absorptive at that wavelength, will cause said medium to generate and propagate ultrasound at an intensity suitable to be reflected by a target contacted by said medium and received by the transducer element and converted thereby into electrical monitoring signals, the relatively high average power laser beam being then at a second wavelength at which the said medium is transmissive and being suitable, when incident on the said target, to produce ablation thereof, the transducing element being sufficiently robust to withstand the ultrasound which is then also generated.

Inventors

• 👤 Richard James Dewhurst
• 👤 Peter Alfred Payne
• 👤 Qing Xin Chen
• 👤 Kok Fu Pang

Bibliographic Details