Animal head-mounted photoacoustic imaging device

Abstract

The invention provides a headset photoacoustic imaging device for an animal. The photoacoustic imaging device comprises a light source assembly, an imaging probe and a fixing assembly; the light beam emitted by the light source assembly passes through the imaging probe to be irradiated to an animal head imaging area to excite an ultrasonic signal; the imaging probe receives the ultrasonic signal and outputs an electric signal for imaging; the fixing assembly is mounted on the imaging detector to be used for fixing the imaging probe to the head of the animal. The headset photoacoustic imaging device for the animal can be fixed above the skull of the animal and can moved as the animal moves.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to the field of medical imaging, in particular to an animal head-mounted photoacoustic imaging device. Background technique [0002] Photoacoustic imaging is a cutting-edge medical imaging technology that has developed rapidly in recent years. It deeply integrates the technical advantages of traditional optical imaging and ultrasonic imaging, so it has the advantages of high resolution and large penetration depth at the same time. Photoacoustic imaging can simultaneously obtain the vascular distribution and partial functional information of tissues. Therefore, it is widely used in many research fields such as hemodynamics, oncology, ophthalmology, cardiovascular disease detection, and pharmacological analysis. In terms of photoacoustic imaging research in brain regions, many scientific research institutions have conducted in-depth research. For example, various photoacoustic imaging devices are used to carry out hemodynamic exper...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0003] In the existing imaging device, the volume of the imaging system / imaging probe is too large, and it is inconvenient to operate and maintain. During the whole imaging process, the head of the mouse is placed under the imaging probe. The probe does not move relative to affect the imaging effect. It is necessary to anesthetize the mouse and then fix it under the imaging probe, which means that the mouse is in an abnormal awake state at this time

[0004] However, many studies have shown that this imaging device is very unfavorable for experimental research. On the one hand, many neural activities in the mouse brain will be affected during anesthesia, which is not conducive to the study of changes caused by brain neural activity under normal conditions. ; On the other hand, because the imaging device limits the range of activities of the mouse, it is not conducive to carrying out a variety of imaging experiments for mouse stress responses (such as whisker experiments, light stimulation, electric shock tests, etc.)

[0005] Moreover, the best way to observe brain activity imaging experiments in mice or other animals is to keep the animals awake and free to move, which is obviously not possible with existing experimental devices.

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