Optical-Ultrasonic Fusion Endoscope Probe, Endoscope Device, and Catheter Device with Transparent Ultrasonic Sensor Substrate

Abstract

The optical-ultrasound fusion endoscope probe based on a transparent ultrasound sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention may include an optical fiber laser unit that emits light, a transparent ultrasound sensor that is disposed between an object to be measured and the optical fiber laser unit, transmits light emitted from the optical fiber laser unit, is coaxially aligned with the light emitted from the optical fiber laser unit, radiates ultrasound to the object, receives the reflected ultrasound, and a camera that obtains an image of the object through the transparent ultrasound sensor. The optical-ultrasound fusion endoscope device based on a transparent ultrasound sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention may include the above-mentioned probe, a scanning unit, and a front end unit. The optical-ultrasound fusion catheter device based on a transparent ultrasound sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a catheter including an optical fiber laser unit that emits light from the front end unit, a transparent ultrasound sensor that is disposed between an object to be measured and the optical fiber laser unit, transmits light emitted from the optical fiber laser unit, is coaxially aligned with the light emitted from the optical fiber laser unit, radiates ultrasound to the object, receives the reflected ultrasound, and transmits it to the front end unit, a scanning unit, and a front end unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe, an endoscope device, and a catheter device for a transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate.

Background Art

[0002] An ultrasonic sensor or transducer uses the characteristics of a piezoelectric material to convert electrical energy into acoustic energy, then transmits this energy to an object as the target, and converts the reflected acoustic energy back into an electrical signal to enable physical distance measurement from the object and acquisition of an image of the object.

[0003] Recently, for high-precision sensing operations, high-resolution images, and user convenience, technologies that integrate optical devices such as optical cameras and lasers and ultrasonic sensors have been actively developed.

[0004] In particular, there are advantages in improving accuracy in medical diagnosis, and research has been conducted on combining a conventional ultrasonic image system and an optical image system, or combining an ultrasonic image system and an optical coherence tomography image system, or combining an ultrasonic image system and a fluorescence image system.

[0005] However, since conventional ultrasonic sensors are opaque, it is impossible to integrate them with optical devices that require a transparent medium, and it was also impossible to arrange the irradiated laser and the ultrasonic sensor on the same axis.

[0006] Such off-axis arrangements have disadvantages in taking images for various reasons. For example, there were problems such as poor system alignment, increased complexity, increased system size, and a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

[0007] To solve the problems of such opaque ultrasonic sensors, in U.S. Patent No. 8,784,321, a part of the cross-section of the opaque ultrasonic sensor was perforated to form an optical path so that the optical path and the ultrasonic path were located on the same axis. However, even in this case, since light could only pass through a part of the cross-section of the ultrasonic sensor, the problems caused by the light impermeability of the ultrasonic sensor could not be fully solved.

[0008] On the other hand, the inventor presented a single-crystal transparent ultrasonic sensor structure based on a lithium niobate (LNO) substrate and its manufacturing method in Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0039208 ("Transparent Ultrasonic Sensor and Method for Manufacturing the Same"), and presented an ultrasonic-optical composite image system using a transparent ultrasonic sensor in Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0110777 ("Ultrasonic-Optical Composite Image System for Transparent Ultrasonic Sensor Substrate").

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0009]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present invention, there are provided an optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe, an endoscope device, and a catheter device for a transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate that can improve the SNR and miniaturize the device by utilizing a transparent ultrasonic sensor that enables coaxialization of an ultrasonic path and an optical path.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0011] To solve the above-described problems of the present invention, an optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe of a transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an optical fiber laser unit that emits light, which is disposed between an object to be measured and the optical fiber laser unit, transmits the light emitted from the optical fiber laser unit, is coaxially aligned with the light emitted from the optical fiber laser unit, and includes a transparent ultrasonic sensor that emits ultrasonic waves to the object and receives the ultrasonic waves reflected therefrom. A camera that acquires an image of the object through the transparent ultrasonic sensor can be included. An optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope apparatus of a transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the above-described probe, a scanning unit that is connected to the probe by a cable and controls the scanning operation of the probe; and a front-end unit that provides an optical output to the probe via the cable and processes a signal of an image acquired by the probe. An optical-ultrasonic fusion catheter apparatus of a transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a catheter that is inserted into a preset object, a scanning unit that is connected to the catheter by a cable and controls the scanning operation of the catheter, and a front-end unit that provides an optical output to the catheter via the cable and processes a signal of an image acquired by the probe. The catheter may include an optical fiber laser unit that emits light from the front-end unit, which is disposed between an object to be measured and the optical fiber laser unit, transmits the light emitted from the optical fiber laser unit, is coaxially aligned with the light emitted from the optical fiber laser unit, emits ultrasonic waves to the object, and receives the reflected ultrasonic waves and transmits them to the front-end unit. A transparent ultrasonic sensor can be included.

Advantages of the Invention

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is an effect that the SNR can be improved and the probe or catheter can be miniaturized by utilizing a transparent ultrasonic sensor that enables coaxialization of an ultrasonic path and an optical path.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3a

Figure 3b

Figure 3c

Figure 3d

Figure 4a

Figure 4b

Figure 4c

Figure 5a

Figure 5b

Figure 5c

Figure 6a

Figure 6b

Figure 6c

Figure 6d

Figure 6e

Figure 6f

Figure 6g

Figure 6h

Figure 6i

Figure 7a

Figure 7b

Figure 7c

Figure 7d

Figure 8

Figure 9a

Figure 9b

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12a

Figure 12b

Figure 13a

Figure 13b

Figure 14

Figure 15

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, preferred embodiments will be described in detail so that those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can easily implement the present invention.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope device or a catheter device of a transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Referring to FIG. 1, an optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope device or a catheter device 100 of a transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention can include an endoscope probe or a catheter 110, an operation unit 120, and a front-end unit 130.

[0017] The endoscope probe or the catheter 110 can be inserted into a preset object to obtain an ultrasonic image, a photoacoustic image, etc. of an object to be photographed. As described above, the endoscope probe or the catheter 110 can be inserted into a preset object to obtain an ultrasonic image, a photoacoustic image, etc. of an object to be photographed. For example, in the case of an endoscope probe inserted into organs such as the stomach or large intestine of the body, the outer diameter can be about 5 to 15 mm, and in the case of a catheter inserted into a narrow place such as the cardiovascular system or microvessels, the outer diameter can be about 0.5 to 1 mm.

[0018] The operation unit 120 can control the movement of the endoscope probe or the catheter 110 connected via a cable. The operation unit 120 can include a knob unit 121, a suction valve 122, an air / water valve 123, and an instrument port 124.

[0019] The knob unit 121 can control the movement of the endoscope probe or the catheter 110 according to the operation of the user. The suction valve 122 can control the suction operation of a suction unit provided in the endoscope probe or the catheter 110 described later. The air / water valve 123 can control the operation of a water nozzle device provided in the endoscope probe or the catheter 110 described later. The instrument port 124 can control the operation of a medical device through a forceps hole provided in the endoscope probe or the catheter 110 described later.

[0020] The front-end unit 130 can include a laser source 131 that provides a laser via an optical fiber cable, and a signal processing unit 132 that transmits an ultrasonic signal to the endoscope probe or catheter 110 via a signal line, receives the reflected ultrasonic signal, performs signal processing, and performs signal processing on the acquired photoacoustic image or the like and displays it.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a schematic front perspective view of an optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe of a transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Referring to FIG. 2 together with FIG. 1, an optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe 110 of a transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention can include an ultrasonic sensor 111, an optical fiber laser unit 112, and a camera 113.

[0023] The optical fiber laser unit 112 can receive a laser from the laser source 131 of the front-end unit 130 and emit light to the outside of the probe 110. The optical fiber laser unit 112 can be a laser device of various wavelengths for photoacoustics, OCT, NIRF (Near Infra Fluorescence), NIRS (Near Infra Spectroscopy), and fluorescence images. In addition to the laser, it can also be a small camera (CCD, CMOS sensor), an LED, or the like. Although only one optical fiber laser unit 112 is shown, a plurality of them can be arranged within a limited size to simultaneously acquire a plurality of optical images.

[0024] The transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 is disposed between the object to be measured and the optical fiber laser unit 112, coaxially aligned with the light emitted from the optical fiber laser unit 112, transmits the light emitted from the optical fiber laser unit 112, and is connected to the signal processing unit 132 of the front end unit 130 via a signal line to radiate ultrasonic waves to the object, receive the reflected ultrasonic waves, and acquire an ultrasonic image. The camera 113 can be connected to the signal processing unit 132 of the front end unit 130 via a signal line, acquire an image of the object through the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111, and transmit the acquired image to the signal processing unit 132.

[0025] As described above, the optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe 110 of the transparent ultrasonic sensor base according to an embodiment of the present invention allows the light from the optical fiber laser unit 112 to pass through the rear surface of the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 so that light and ultrasonic waves can acquire optical / ultrasonic images or signals at the same position. The volume of the device is reduced, the number of forceps holes in the extra part of the device is increased, and various surgical tools can be added. Since ultrasonic / optical can accurately share the same position information, the problem of position mismatch between conventional ultrasonic images and optical images can be overcome.

[0026] FIGS. 3A to 3D are schematic front perspective views of the optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe of the transparent ultrasonic sensor base according to various embodiments of the present invention.

[0027] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3A to 3D together, the optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe 110 of the transparent ultrasonic sensor base according to various embodiments of the present invention may further include a suction unit 114 for sucking a preset substance, a forceps hole 115, and a water nozzle device 116 for ejecting water. As described above, the volume of the device is reduced, the number of forceps holes in the extra part of the device is increased, and a plurality of forceps holes 115 for performing preset medical functions such as incision and suturing can be provided.

[0028] First, referring to FIG. 3a, the optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe 110 of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to various embodiments of the present invention can acquire an ultrasonic image (a) of an object through the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111. Referring to FIG. 3b, an image (b) of the object can be acquired through the camera 113. Referring to FIG. 3c, photoacoustic images (a, c) can be acquired using the optical fiber laser unit 112 and the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111. Referring to FIG. 3d, a fluorescence image (d) can be acquired using the optical fiber laser unit 112 alone.

[0029] Note that the catheter employed in the optical-ultrasonic fusion catheter device 100 of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention has operations and configurations similar to those of the above-described endoscope probe except for the configuration excluding the camera, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0030] The optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe or catheter 110 of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to various embodiments of the present invention can be of a front viewing type or a side viewing type.

[0031] In the optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe or catheter 110 of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate shown in the drawings described later, the transparent ultrasonic sensor can focus or radiate ultrasonic signals.

[0032] FIGS. 4a to 4c are schematic configuration diagrams of the optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe or catheter of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to various embodiments of the present invention of the front viewing type.

[0033] Referring to FIG. 4a, in the optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe or catheter 110 of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to various embodiments of the present invention, the optical fiber laser unit 112 is located behind the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves a from the end to the front, and light c can be emitted through the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 4b, the optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe or catheter 110 of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to various embodiments of the present invention can arrange an optical lens 117 between the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 and the optical fiber laser unit 112 to focus the light c from the optical fiber laser unit 112. The optical lens 117 can be diverse, such as a GRIN lens, a ball lens, a convex lens, etc.

[0035] Referring to FIG. 4c, the optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe or catheter 110 of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to various embodiments of the present invention can arrange a plurality of optical lenses 117 between the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 and the optical fiber laser unit 112 to adjust the angle and distance for spreading the light c from the optical fiber laser unit 112. At this time, the optical lens 117 can correspond to all lenses or diffusers that can spread light.

[0036] On the other hand, the optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe or catheter 110 of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to various embodiments of the present invention can further include a reflector.

[0037] FIGS. 5a to 5c are schematic configuration diagrams of the optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe or catheter of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to various embodiments of the present invention with a reflector added to the front viewing type probe or catheter.

[0038] Referring to FIGS. 5a - 5c, the optical - ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe or catheter 110 of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to various embodiments of the present invention of the front - viewing type further includes a reflector 118, and can transmit and receive ultrasonic waves on the side surface of the optical - ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe or catheter 110 of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate, and can emit light. Similarly, when a camera (not shown) is included, an image of an object can be obtained. The reflector 118 is disposed at the front end of the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111, and can change the angle of the ultrasonic wave of the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 and the light from the optical fiber laser unit 112.

[0039] FIGS. 6a - 6i are schematic configuration diagrams of the optical - ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe or catheter of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to various embodiments of the present invention in which a reflector is added to the side - viewing type probe or catheter.

[0040] Referring to FIGS. 6a - 6i, the optical - ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe or catheter 110 of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to various embodiments of the present invention of the side - viewing type has an optical fiber laser unit 112 located behind the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 that transmits and receives ultrasonic wave a, and can emit light c through the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111, and can include a reflector 118 that can change the angle of the light from the optical fiber laser unit 112 between the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 and the optical fiber laser unit 112. Further, an optical lens 117 can be disposed between the reflector 118 and the optical fiber laser unit 112 to focus the light c from the optical fiber laser unit 112, or a plurality of optical lenses 117 can be disposed to adjust the angle and distance for spreading the light c from the optical fiber laser unit 112.

[0041] FIGS. 7a - 7d are drawings showing examples of reflectors employed in the optical - ultrasonic fusion endoscope device or catheter device of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Referring to FIGS. 7a to 7d, various forms of reflectors can be used in the optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope device or catheter device of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention. Examples of the reflector include a mirror, a prism, a beam splitter, a dichroic mirror, etc., and can include any form of reflector that can reflect light or ultrasonic waves.

[0043] FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram of an optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope device or catheter device of a transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 8, when the optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope device or catheter device 200 of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to another embodiment of the present invention is a side-viewing type probe or catheter, it can include an endoscope probe or catheter 210, a scanning unit 220, and a front-end unit 230.

[0045] The endoscope probe or catheter 210 is inserted into a preset object and can obtain ultrasonic images, photoacoustic images, etc. of the object to be photographed.

[0046] The scanning unit 220 can control the scanning of the endoscope probe or catheter 210 connected via a cable. That is, the scanning unit 220 can control the scanning operation of rotating the endoscope probe or catheter 210 360 degrees to obtain ultrasonic images, photoacoustic images, etc. of the object.

[0047] The scanning unit 220 can include a motor 221, an optical fiber rotary joint unit 222, and a slip ring 223.

[0048] The motor 221 can provide the torque to rotate the endoscope probe or catheter 210. The optical fiber rotary joint 222 can provide coaxial alignment between the optical fiber cable (fiber b) connected to and rotated with the endoscope probe or catheter 210 rotated according to the torque of the motor 221 and the optical fiber cable (fiber a) connected to and fixed to the front end portion 230. There is a separation of about several micrometers between the fixed optical fiber cable (fiber a) and the optical fiber cable (fiber b) rotated by the motor, and the laser can be transmitted from the fixed optical fiber cable (fiber a) to the rotating optical fiber cable (fiber b) like a dotted line. The optical fiber rotary joint 222 can provide coaxial alignment between the optical fiber cable (fiber b) connected to and rotated with the endoscope probe or catheter 210 rotated according to the torque of the motor 221 and the optical fiber cable (fiber a) connected to and fixed to the front end portion 230, so that the laser can be transmitted from the fixed optical fiber cable (fiber a) to the rotating optical fiber cable (fiber b) like a dotted line. The slip ring 223 can provide electrical connection between the signal line (line b) connected to and fixed to the front end portion 230 and the signal line (line b) connected to and rotated with the endoscope probe or catheter 110 rotated by the motor 221.

[0049] The front end portion 230 can include a laser source 231 that provides a laser through the optical fiber cable (fiber a), and a signal processing unit 232 that transmits an ultrasonic signal to the endoscope probe or catheter 210 through the signal line (line a), receives the reflected ultrasonic signal, processes the signal, and processes and displays the acquired photoacoustic image and the like on a display.

[0050] FIG. 9a is a front view of a transparent ultrasonic sensor employed in an optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope device or a catheter device of a transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 9b is a rear view of the transparent ultrasonic sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view in one direction of the transparent ultrasonic sensor employed in the optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope device or the catheter device of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the transparent ultrasonic sensor employed in the optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope device or the catheter device of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] As shown in FIGS. 9a and 9b, the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 according to an embodiment of the present invention has a circular form having a circular planar shape, but is not limited thereto.

[0052] Referring to FIGS. 9a, 9b, and 10, the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a protective layer 111-1 from the right side, a matching portion 111-3 having an acoustic lens positioned behind the protective layer 111-1, a piezoelectric portion 111-5 positioned behind the matching portion 111-3, first and second housings 111-7a, 111-7b connected to the piezoelectric portion 111-5, a rear surface layer 111-6 positioned behind the piezoelectric portion 111-5, an insulating portion 111-8 positioned between the first and second housings 111-7a, 111-7b, and a correction lens portion 111-9 positioned behind the second housing 111-7b.

[0053] The protective layer 111-1 physically and electrically protects the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 and reduces the difference in acoustic impedance between the medium to which an ultrasonic signal is to be irradiated, i.e., the object. Therefore, the protective layer 111-1 has a protective function and can operate as a matching layer that performs acoustic impedance matching between a liquid (e.g., water) and a living body.

[0054] Such a protective layer 111-1 can be made of a transparent material. As an example, the protective layer 111-1 can contain parylene, which is a transparent polymer.

[0055] In this example, the acoustic impedance of the protective layer 111-1 can be about 284 Mrayls.

[0056] Such a protective layer 111-1 can be disposed on the front and side surfaces of the piezoelectric part 111-5, and on the side surface of the second housing 111-7b located at the outermost end of the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11.

[0057] Thus, the protective layer 111-1 can consequently form the front and side surfaces of the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111.

[0058] The matching part 111-3 located behind the protective layer 111-1 is for reducing the difference in acoustic impedance between the medium irradiated with the ultrasonic signal generated by the piezoelectric part 111-5, that is, the object.

[0059] That is, when an ultrasonic signal is generated by the operation of the piezoelectric part 111-5, in order to efficiently transmit the ultrasonic signal in water, biological tissue or other media instead of air, the acoustic impedance of the corresponding medium must be adjusted to the maximum in order to minimize the loss of ultrasonic energy.

[0060] Each acoustic lens of the matching part 111-3 in this example can be of a focused type using an acoustic lens capable of adjusting the focus of light and ultrasonic signals.

[0061] Thus, since the matching part 111-3 has a focus adjustment function, the ultrasonic signal reflected by the object and incident on the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 is accurately joined at the desired position of the piezoelectric part 111-5.

[0062] Therefore, due to the focus adjustment function of such a matching unit 111-3, the focus of the ultrasonic image obtained by the ultrasonic signal output from the piezoelectric unit 111-5 can be adjusted, and a clear ultrasonic image can be obtained.

[0063] As a result, the sharpness of the image obtained by the operation of the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 is improved, and a clear image of a desired part of the object irradiated with the ultrasonic signal can be obtained.

[0064] In addition, since the matching unit 111-3 uses an acoustic lens, the curvature of the surface is constant, the transparency of the surface is improved, and the loss amount of the ultrasonic signal during the transmission and reception of the ultrasonic signal irradiated on the object or reflected from the object can be reduced.

[0065] Also, if necessary, an additional transmission film or blocking film can be formed on the matching unit 111-3 to transmit or block only signals in a desired wavelength band.

[0066] The acoustic lens provided in the matching unit 111-3 can be made of at least one of transparent glasses, transparent epoxies, and transparent silicons.

[0067] Such an acoustic lens can be selected according to the function of the acoustic lens.

[0068] For example, when the acoustic lens functions as a matching layer that performs the matching function of acoustic impedance, if the piezoelectric material provided in the piezoelectric unit 111-5 is not in the form of a polymer such as PVDF or PVDF-TrFE, it is more preferable that the acoustic lens is made of glass.

[0069] That is, when the piezoelectric material is made of LNO (lithium niobite) or PMN-PT, the acoustic impedance is as high as 30 to 40 Mrayls. However, in the case of glasses, it is as low as 10 to 15 Mrayls and has an acoustic impedance value that is easy to match for acoustic impedance matching. In addition, the transparency is very good. When the piezoelectric material is not in a polymer shape, an acoustic lens can be made of glasses.

[0070] However, when a matching layer that performs the acoustic impedance matching function has already been fabricated, the acoustic lens can be made of transparent epoxies or transparent silicons.

[0071] That is, when a matching layer (about 7 to 20 Mrayls) that performs the matching function already exists between a piezoelectric material having an acoustic impedance of about 30 to 40 Mrayls and a biological tissue or water (i.e., the medium to be irradiated with ultrasonic waves) having an acoustic impedance of about 1 to 2 Mrayls, a separate acoustic impedance matching operation is not required. Therefore, epoxies or silicons (about 1 to 3 Mrayls) having an acoustic impedance similar to that of biological tissue or water are appropriate. That is, since the acoustic impedance of epoxies and silicons has an acoustic impedance almost similar to that of biological tissue or water, separate acoustic impedance matching is not required.

[0072] In addition, considering the speed of sound and the speed of sound with respect to the material of the acoustic lens, the curvature of the curved surface of the acoustic lens and whether it is a concave or convex surface can be determined.

[0073] For example, when an acoustic lens is made of glasses, an optical lens can be used. At this time, the light beam travels faster in glasses than in water, and the acoustic lens can be designed to be concave, such as plano-concave (see Fig. 12a).

[0074] When the acoustic lens is made of transparent epoxies, it is necessary to perform a polishing process on the acoustical lens fabricated primarily to maximize transparency and finally complete the acoustic lens. Thus, even when the acoustic lens is made of epoxies, since the epoxies have a faster light beam velocity than water, the acoustic lens can also be fabricated in a plano-concave shape.

[0075] Even when the acoustic lens is made of transparent silicons, as in the case of epoxies, it is necessary to perform a separate polishing process to maximize the completed acoustic lens. In this case, since silicons have a slower light velocity than water, unlike the cases of glasses and epoxies, the acoustic lens can be fabricated in a convex shape such as a plano-convex shape (see Fig. 12b). Thus, when the acoustic lens is fabricated in a plano-convex shape, the acoustic lens can have a function of collecting light.

[0076] As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the piezoelectric unit 111-5 can include a piezoelectric layer 111-5a, and first and second electrode layers 111-5b and 111-5c respectively positioned on the rear and front surfaces of the piezoelectric layer 111-5a.

[0077] The piezoelectric layer 111-5a is a layer in which piezoelectric and inverse piezoelectric effects occur, and as already described, can contain a piezoelectric material that is at least one of LNO (lithium niobite), PMN-PT, PVDF, and PVDF-TrFE.

[0078] The electromechanical coupling coefficient of LNO is very high at about 0.49, and accordingly, the electro-mechanical energy conversion efficiency is very good.

[0079] In addition, LNO has a low dielectric permittivity. When the piezoelectric layer 111-5a is made of LNO, the use of a transparent ultrasonic sensor can be suitable for a large aperture single element transducer.

[0080] Moreover, LNO has a high Curie temperature and can withstand high temperatures well, enabling the development of a transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 with good heat resistance.

[0081] In addition, when the piezoelectric layer 111-5a is formed of LNO, the development of a single element ultrasonic sensor having a center frequency of 10 to 400 MHz can also be easily carried out.

[0082] When the piezoelectric layer 111-5a contains PMN-PT, since the piezoelectric performance of PMN-PT (d33~1500-2800 pC / N) and the electromechanical coupling coefficient (k>09) are very high, the performance of the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 can be improved.

[0083] Unlike LNO, such PMN-PT has a high dielectric permittivity, enabling the development of a transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 suitable for a small aperture single or array ultrasound transducer.

[0084] In addition, when the piezoelectric layer 111-5a contains at least one of PVDF and PVDF-TrFE, it can have the following characteristics.

[0085] PVDF and PVDF-TrFE have a polymer film form, are flexible, and enable the fabrication of a stretchable piezoelectric layer 111-5a, thereby reducing the thickness of the piezoelectric layer 111-5a. With the reduced thickness, a transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 for signals in a high-frequency band of about 100 MHz can be fabricated.

[0086] Also, PVDF and PVDF-TrFE have a relatively low electromechanical coupling coefficient and a high receiving constant, have a wider bandwidth compared to other piezoelectric materials, and are easy to fabricate all single-element and array-form elements.

[0087] Here, a single element (e.g., a single ultrasonic transducer) can mean an ultrasonic transducer in which the number of all components including the piezoelectric material is one. Also, an array-shaped element (e.g., an array ultrasonic transducer) can be an ultrasonic transducer in which the number of all components including the piezoelectric material is a plurality (n), and can generally be configured in a form mainly used in hospitals. At this time, the shape can be a linear shape, a convex shape, a 2D matrix, etc.

[0088] In this example, it is possible to fabricate all single or array ultrasonic transducers with a small aperture similar to PMN-PT.

[0089] The material characteristics of these piezoelectric layers 111-5a can be summarized as shown in the following table.

[0090]

Table 1

[0091] The first and second electrode layers 111-5b and 111-5c respectively located on the front and rear surfaces of the piezoelectric layer 111-5a receive a (+) drive signal and a (-) drive signal respectively from a generator of a drive signal (not shown), exert the inverse piezoelectric effect on the piezoelectric layer 111-5a, and transmit an ultrasonic signal to the object 200 side. Conversely, an electric signal generated by the piezoelectric effect of the piezoelectric layer 111-5a due to the ultrasonic signal reflected and received by the object can be received and output to the outside.

[0092] Such first and second electrode layers 111-5b and 111-5c can be made of a transparent conductive material as already described, and for example, can contain at least one of AgNW (silver nanowire), ITO, carbon nanotubes, and graphene.

[0093] As shown in FIG. 10, for easy coupling of the first housing 111-7a and the second housing 111-7b, the size of the first electrode layer 111-5b and the size of the second electrode layer 111-5c can be different from each other.

[0094] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, in the first and second electrode layers 111-5b and 111-5c having a circular planar shape, the diameter of the second electrode layer 111-5c is different from the diameter of the first electrode layer 111-5b, and a part (for example, an end portion) of the second electrode layer 111-5c can be led out to the outside from the end portion of the first electrode layer 111-5b.

[0095] When an electrical signal (for example, a pulse signal) is applied to the piezoelectric material, the piezoelectric material (that is, the piezoelectric layer 111-5a) vibrates back and forth to generate an ultrasonic signal, and an ultrasonic signal is generated not only on the front surface of the piezoelectric layer 111-5a facing the object but also on the rear surface which is the opposite.

[0096] At this time, since the ultrasonic signal generated on the rear surface does not face the object, the ultrasonic signal generated on the rear surface in this way acts as a noise signal.

[0097] In addition, a part of the ultrasonic signal reflected and returned by the object can pass through the matching unit 111-5 and be output to the side of the correction lens unit 111-9.

[0098] Therefore, the rear layer 111-6 is located behind the piezoelectric unit 111-5 and can play a role in attenuating the ultrasonic signal generated on the rear surface of the piezoelectric unit 111-5 and attenuating the ultrasonic signal reflected by the object.

[0099] Thus, since the rear layer 111-6 is located on the rear surface of the piezoelectric unit 111-5 (that is, the surface located on the opposite side of the front surface of the piezoelectric unit 111-5 where the reflected ultrasonic signal is incident), the incident ultrasonic signal does not pass through the rear surface of the piezoelectric unit 111-5.

[0100] Thereby, unnecessary signal interference caused by the ultrasonic signal passing through the rear surface of the piezoelectric unit 111-5 can be prevented, loss of the ultrasonic signal reflected by the piezoelectric unit 111-5 can be prevented, and the ring down signal can be reduced to reduce the ring down phenomenon.

[0101] Ring down is a phenomenon in which unnecessary signals extend long on the time axis and is a factor that adversely affects image generation.

[0102] Therefore, the rear layer 111-6 can produce an appropriate rear layer 111-6 by adjusting at least one of the acoustic impedance and the thickness to reduce such a ring down phenomenon.

[0103] When the rear layer 111-6 is made of a material having a high acoustic impedance, the ring down phenomenon decreases, and the fact that the ring down phenomenon decreases on the time axis is similar to the meaning that the bandwidth becomes wider in the frequency domain. However, instead, the magnitude of the entire ultrasonic signal may also be attenuated by the rear layer 111-6 when transmitting and receiving the ultrasonic signal.

[0104] Conversely, when the rear layer 111-6 is manufactured from a material having a relatively low acoustic impedance, the bandwidth decreases without significantly reducing the ring-down phenomenon, but the amount of ultrasonic signal transmission and reception can be increased.

[0105] The rear layer 111-6 can also be made of a transparent non-conductive material, for example, it can be made of transparent epoxies (e.g., Epotek301) or transparent glasses.

[0106] When the rear layer 111-6 is made of Epotek301 and has a low acoustic impedance of 31 Mrayls, low signal damping occurs, and the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 can achieve relatively high signal acquisition.

[0107] Also, Epotek301 has very high transparency such that it has a transparency of about 95% or more at wavelengths from 380 nm to 2000 nm, and since it cures at room temperature, it is easy to manufacture the rear layer 111-6.

[0108] When the rear layer 111-6 is made of glass, it has high transparency and flatness and does not require a separate curing process.

[0109] When the glass has an acoustic impedance of about 13 Mrayls, the pulse length becomes short due to the high signal damping effect in the rear layer 111-6, and the ring-down effect decreases, but the effect of increasing the frequency bandwidth of the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 can be exerted.

[0110] Such a rear layer 111-6 can be omitted as necessary.

[0111] As already described, the first housing 111-7a and the second housing 111-7b are connected to the first electrode layer 111-5b and the second electrode layer 111-5c, respectively. Therefore, such first housing 111-7a and second housing 111-7b can be made of a transparent conductive material containing a conductive material (e.g., copper) through which an electrical signal is transmitted.

[0112] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the first housing 111-7a can receive the corresponding signal through the first signal line L1 and transmit it to the first electrode layer 111-5b, and conversely, output the signal applied from the first electrode layer 111-5b to the first signal line L1.

[0113] The second housing 111-7b can also receive the corresponding signal through a second signal line L2, which is a signal line different from the first signal line L1, and transmit it to the second electrode layer 111-5c, and conversely, output the signal applied from the second electrode layer 111-5c to the second signal line L2.

[0114] In this example, the signal input to the first signal line L1 can be a pulse signal, and the signal flowing into the second signal line L2 can be a ground signal or a shield signal (-). Therefore, the first housing 111-7a can transmit the pulse signal to the first electrode layer 111-5b, and the second housing 111-7b can transmit the ground signal to the second electrode layer 111-5c.

[0115] Such first housing 111-7a and second housing 111-7b have a ring shape as shown in FIG. 4, and can be positioned so as to be in contact with the ends of the corresponding electrode layers 111-5b and 111-5c that are in contact with each other, that is, in contact with the circular side surfaces.

[0116] That is, the first electrode layer 111-5b and the second electrode layer 111-5c can be inserted and mounted in the voids located inside the first housing 111-7a and the second housing 111-7b.

[0117] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, the first housing 111-7a and the second housing 111-7b are positioned such that the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 surrounds the actual active region AR1, and the reduction of the active region AR1 by the first and second housings 111-7a, 111-7b, substantially by the first housing 111-7a, can be minimized.

[0118] Thus, the first housing 111-7a and the second housing 111-7b can contain a material with good conductivity in order to play a role in transmitting an electrical signal to the corresponding electrode layers 111-5b, 111-5c.

[0119] Since the first housing 111-7a is located at the end (i.e., the edge) of the first electrode layer 111-5a that is positioned on the entire rear surface of the piezoelectric layer 111-5a where light reception occurs, it preferably has the thinnest width W11 and can have the thickest thickness in order to minimize the signal loss rate due to wiring resistance and the like.

[0120] As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the second housing 111-7b is coupled to the second electrode layer 111-5c having a diameter larger than that of the first electrode layer 111-5b, so it has a diameter larger than that of the first housing 111-7a.

[0121] Also, since the second housing 111-7b is located outside the first housing 111-7a and serves to protect the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111, it can have a width and thickness larger than the width and thickness of the first housing 111-7a.

[0122] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, the first electrode layer 111-5b and the first housing 111-7a can be located within the second housing 111-7b.

[0123] Also, as already described, since the outer surface of the second housing 111-7b that is exposed to the outside is covered with the protective layer 111-1, noise signals are prevented from flowing into the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 through the second housing 111-7b.

[0124] As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, since the second housing 111-7b does not affect the light reception area of the piezoelectric layer 111-5a, its size can be increased as needed.

[0125] Also, threads 111-7b1, connectors, etc. can be formed on the second housing 111-7b to couple desired optical components to the second housing 111-7b. In this case, the second housing 111-7b can function as a coupling part for coupling with other components.

[0126] The insulating part 111-8 is positioned in contact with the corresponding housings 111-7a and 111-7b between the first housing 111-7a and the second housing 111-7b that transmit the corresponding electrical signals to the corresponding electrode layers 111-5b and 111-5c, and can insulate the first housing 111-7a and the second housing 111-7b to prevent electrical connection and short circuits, and can play a role in fixing the positions of the first housing 111-7a and the second housing 111-7b.

[0127] Such an insulating part 111-8 can be made of a transparent insulating material such as non-conductive epoxy. As an example, when the matching part 111-3 uses a plano-concave acoustic lens, the light and ultrasonic signals reflected from the object and incident are focused by the acoustic lens of the matching part 111-3, but after passing through the matching part 111-3, a light leakage phenomenon may occur (see FIG. 13a).

[0128] Therefore, a plano-convex correction lens portion 111-9, which is opposite to the shape of the acoustic lens used in the alignment portion 111-3, is positioned in front of the rear surface layer 111-7, and such a light refraction phenomenon can be compensated to prevent a light leakage phenomenon (see Fig. 13b).

[0129] At this time, the curvature of the correction lens portion 111-9 can be selectively used according to the final position where the light is positioned.

[0130] In this way, the correction lens portion 111-9 only affects the focal point of light regardless of the focal point of the ultrasonic signal, while the acoustic lens of the alignment portion 111-3 may affect all of the focal point of the ultrasonic signal and the focal point of light.

[0131] Such a correction lens portion 111-9 can be omitted as needed, and the focal length of light can also be adjusted by changing the correction lens portion 111-9.

[0132] In addition, the correction lens portion 111-9 can have a confocal function of simultaneously adjusting the focal points of the ultrasonic signal reflected and received and the focal point of light. However, when the correction lens portion 111-9 has a confocal function, it is necessary to design the correction lens portion 111-9 in consideration of the form of light before passing through the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111.

[0133] In this example, the correction lens portion 111-9 includes one lens, but is not limited thereto, and in addition to one lens such as a plano-convex lens, it can further include a lens for aberration correction and include a plurality of lenses.

[0134] The characteristics of the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 of this example having such a structure and in which all components (for example, 111-1 to 111-6, 111-9) located in the active region AR1 of the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 are made of a transparent material through which light is transmitted can be as follows.

[0135] First, since impedance matching, that is, matching is performed by the operation of the matching unit 111-3, the reliability of the signal output from the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 can be improved.

[0136] Also, by using an acoustic lens having a focus adjustment function used in the matching unit 111-3, the focus of the light and the ultrasonic signal reflected by the object is adjusted so that the light and the ultrasonic signal can be accurately combined at a desired position of the piezoelectric unit 111-5. As a result, the sharpness of the ultrasonic image obtained by the signal output from the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 is greatly improved, and not only the presence or absence of the corresponding object but also the accurate shape of the sensed object can be grasped.

[0137] Also, as already described, the components (for example, 11-16, 19) constituting the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 are all made of transparent substances such as transparent glasses, transparent epoxies, and transparent silicons, and the light output from the optical fiber laser unit 112 can pass through the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 immediately and irradiate the corresponding object side.

[0138] Thereby, the arrangement of the optical system including the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 is free, and the utilization rate of the space where the optical system is installed can be improved.

[0139] Also, the correction lens unit 111-9 can be selectively used according to the needs of the user, and the focal length of the light can be adjusted by changing the correction lens unit 111-9.

[0140] Also, when a plano-concave optical lens coated for 400 to 1000 nm is used as the acoustic lens, light transmission is good at 400 to 1000 nm, and the sharpness of the ultrasonic image can be improved.

[0141] When a plano-concave optical lens is used as the acoustic lens 111-3, although the phenomenon of light leakage occurs due to the acoustic lens, the light leakage phenomenon due to the correction lens unit 111-9 is compensated, and the focal point of light can be adjusted to a desired point. In this way, the use of the compensation lens can broaden the range of selection of the acoustic lens.

[0142] By adjusting the focal point with such an acoustic lens 111-3 and the correction lens unit 111-9, the shape of the light is maintained, and thus, a fine focus can be maintained, and a high-resolution optical image (for example, a photoacoustic image or an optical coherence tomography image) can be obtained.

[0143] Also, the first and second signal lines L1 and L2 are respectively connected to the first and second housings 111-7a and 111-7b that constitute the housing of the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 to apply an electrical signal as the first and second electrodes 111-5b and 111-5c of the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111, so that the connection of the signal lines L1 and L2 can be easily performed.

[0144] Furthermore, a thread 111-7b1 or the like is formed on the second housing 111-7b which is the outer housing to facilitate the connection and coupling with other optical elements. In this way, since the coupling of the necessary optical elements is performed on the second housing 111-7b which is located in a part completely unrelated to the optical path of the light emitted from the optical module 100, the light is normally incident on the piezoelectric part 111-5 of the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 without loss, and since the light passes through the center of the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 in the normal direction, the alignment of the light and the ultrasonic signal can be easily performed.

[0145] Here, the meaning of perpendicular can be that the light travels straight in a direction perpendicular to the incident surface of the transparent ultrasonic sensor (for example, the transparent ultrasonic transducer).

[0146] In this way, when the light is incident on the ultrasonic sensor vertically, the focal positions of the light and the ultrasonic signal can exactly coincide, and the sharpness of the image obtained from the transparent ultrasonic sensor can be further improved.

[0147] As already described, a matching layer can exist to minimize ultrasonic energy loss in the medium due to the difference in acoustic impedance between air and the medium.

[0148] Such a matching layer can be one or more.

[0149] In the comparative example, the formation of such a matching layer can be as follows.

[0150] When the medium of the ultrasonic signal is water or biological tissue (15 Mrayls), and the piezoelectric layer is LNO (345 Mrayls) or PMN-PT (371 Mrayls), acoustic impedance matching is necessary for the maximum transmission and reception efficiency of ultrasonic energy. In this case, one or more substances between 371 Mrayls and 15 Mrayls are required to be the matching layer.

[0151] At this time, when using a KLM simulation tool (such as PiezoCAD, PZFLEX) to generate a specific matching layer, it is necessary to confirm the waveform of the ultrasonic signal transmitted from water or biological tissue through simulation and find the appropriate matching layer material. Also, since the thickness of the generated matching layer also affects the ultrasonic waveform and greatly affects the waveform, it is necessary to adjust the thickness of the matching layer to find the appropriate thickness. Theoretically, the thickness with the minimum loss of wave energy is the desired λ / 4 thickness with the minimum loss according to the wave equation (c = λ * f, c: speed of sound, about 1480 m / s, λ: wavelength, f: desired center frequency).

[0152] In a normal ultrasonic sensor, a mixture of silver powder and epoxy (79 Mrayls) is often used to form the first matching layer well. At this time, the acoustic impedance can be adjusted according to the mixing ratio of silver powder and epoxy. As an example, silver powder:epoxy = 3:125 can be used.

[0153] Next, a second matching layer can be formed by a parylene (28 Mrayls) coating.

[0154] When the piezoelectric layer is PVDF or PVDF-TrFE (about 4 Mrayls), one matching layer can be formed using only the parylene coating. Here, the matching layer formed by the parylene coating can not only serve as a matching layer but also provide external protection and insulation.

[0155] However, in the case of the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 according to this example, since the components (e.g., 11-16, 19) located in the active region AR1 are transparent, for the LNO or PMN-PT that constitutes the piezoelectric layer, the matching layer 111-3 can be formed using glass. At this time, since it varies slightly depending on the raw materials of the glass (e.g., borosilicate glass = 13 Mrayls, Crown glass = 142 Mrayls, Quartz = 145 Mrayls, plate glass = 107 Mrayls, soda-lime glass = 13 Mrayls), the desired glass can be appropriately selected and used.

[0156] Next, as the second matching layer (e.g., 2-6 Mralys), transparent epoxies or silicones (e.g., PDMS) can be used, and as the third matching layer, a parylene coating can be used. At this time, the formation of the second matching layer can be omitted, and the second matching layer (e.g., 11) can be directly formed on the first matching layer (e.g., 13) using a parylene coating. Also in this case, the desired matching layer can be formed using the simulation waveform of the result by KLM simulation.

[0157] In the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 according to this example, as an example, an engineering lens made of borosilicate was used as the first matching layer, and a second matching layer was formed on the first matching layer through a parylene coating to achieve acoustic impedance matching and external protection and signal insulation.

[0158] As already described, this optical lens can not only function as acoustic impedance matching, but also play a role in focusing, that is, focusing the ultrasonic signals generated in the piezoelectric layer.

[0159] Since the transparent ultrasonic sensor 111 was mainly used for image acquisition applications, the focusing of ultrasonic signals is a factor that has a great impact on high resolution and high sensitivity.

[0160] FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 are drawings showing the results of photoacoustic images obtained by the optical-ultrasonic fusion catheter device of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0161] Referring to FIG. 14, hair was attached to a 4.0 mm hole, and the catheter of the optical-ultrasonic fusion catheter device of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention was inserted into the 4.0 mm hole to experiment whether photoacoustic image acquisition was possible. As shown in the figure, the 3D data obtained while moving the catheter back and forth and rotating it is represented in cross-sectional images, the X-Y plane, the X-Z plane, etc. The lateral resolution measured with hair was confirmed to be 282 μm.

[0162] Referring to FIG. 15, a leaf skeleton phantom was wound and attached to a 4.5 mm hole, and the catheter of the optical-ultrasonic fusion catheter device of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention was inserted into the 4.0 mm hole to experiment whether photoacoustic image acquisition was possible. As shown in the figure, the 3D data obtained while moving the catheter back and forth and rotating it is represented in the X-Z plane, the Y-Z plane, the X-Y plane, etc.

[0163] Ultrasound-photoacoustic endoscopes and intravascular catheters using conventional opaque ultrasonic sensors are not only very difficult to position all of the optical fibers and ultrasonic sensors within a limited space, but also very difficult to simultaneously align the laser field and the ultrasonic field. In addition, although various methods such as OCT, fluorescence, and infrared can be used for accurate diagnosis of intravascular diseases (what is observed in each system is different), it is very difficult to develop a system with a limited size. As described above, when using the transparent ultrasonic sensor according to the present invention, the limited space can be utilized to the maximum extent, and it is also easy to combine various optical modules. In addition, when using a conventional ultrasonic sensor, there may be limitations in the use of the optical system existing on the optical path, but when using a transparent ultrasonic sensor, it is easy to use the optical system at any position. Furthermore, the transparent ultrasonic sensor can provide comprehensive information in combination with various general optical imaging devices. In particular, there have been many studies on combining endoscopes and catheters with ultrasound and optical images (photoacoustic / OCT / fluorescence / NIRS / NIRF images, etc.). However, since it is necessary to directly insert an imaging device into a body tube, blood vessel, etc., its size is very limited. The combination of the transparent ultrasonic sensor and the optical imaging device is optimal for minimizing the size.

[0164] The present invention described above is not limited by the above-described embodiments and the accompanying drawings, but is limited by the claims described below. It is obvious to those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs that the configuration of the present invention can be variously changed and corrected within the scope not departing from the technical idea of the present invention.

Claims

1. An optical fiber laser unit that emits light, Disposed between the object to be measured and the optical fiber laser unit, transmits the light emitted from the optical fiber laser unit, is coaxially aligned with the light emitted from the optical fiber laser unit, and emits ultrasonic waves to the object and receives the ultrasonic waves reflected therefrom A transparent ultrasonic sensor, A camera that acquires an image of an object via the transparent ultrasonic sensor, An optical lens disposed between the transparent ultrasonic sensor and the optical fiber laser unit for adjusting the characteristics of the light from the optical fiber laser unit An optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe of a transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate including

2. A suction unit that inhales a preset substance, A plurality of forceps holes that perform a preset medical function, At least one of a plurality of water nozzles that eject water The optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to claim 1, further comprising

3. The optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to claim 1, further comprising a reflector that changes the path of the light from the optical fiber laser unit to a preset angle

4. The optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the optical lenses are provided

5. The transparent ultrasonic sensor includes An alignment unit made of a transparent material that performs optical impedance matching, A piezoelectric layer made of a transparent material located behind the alignment unit, A first electrode layer and a second electrode layer made of a transparent conductive material respectively located on the rear surface and the front surface of the piezoelectric layer, A first housing connected to the first electrode layer, A second housing connected to the second electrode layer The optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to claim 1, including

6. The optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to claim 5, further comprising an insulating portion made of a transparent insulating material located between the first housing and the second housing

7. The optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to claim 5, further comprising a protective layer located in front of the alignment unit for performing acoustic impedance matching

8. An optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope probe for a transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to claim 5, which is located behind the integration unit, adjusts the focus of the light passing through the integration unit, and further includes a correction lens made of a transparent material.

9. A probe inserted into a preset object, A front-end unit that provides an optical output to the probe via a cable and processes signals of an image acquired by the probe comprising The probe An optical fiber laser unit that emits light, A transparent ultrasonic sensor that is disposed between an object to be measured and the optical fiber laser unit, transmits the light emitted from the optical fiber laser unit, is coaxially aligned with the light emitted from the optical fiber laser unit, and receives ultrasonic waves radiated to and reflected by the object, A camera that acquires an image of an object via the transparent ultrasonic sensor, An optical lens that is disposed between the transparent ultrasonic sensor and the optical fiber laser unit and adjusts the characteristics of the light from the optical fiber laser unit An optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope device for a transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate.

10. The optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope device for a transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to claim 9, wherein a plurality of the optical lenses are provided.

11. Further comprising an operation unit connected to the probe by the cable to control the movement of the probe, The operation unit A knob unit that controls the movement of the probe according to a user's operation, A suction valve that controls the suction operation of a suction unit provided on the probe, An air / water valve that controls the operation of a water nozzle device provided on the probe, An instrument port that controls the operation of a medical device through a forceps hole provided on the probe An optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope device for a transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to claim 9.

12. Further comprising a scanning unit connected to the probe by the cable to control the scanning operation of the probe, The scanning unit A motor that provides torque for rotating the probe, An optical fiber rotary joint unit that provides coaxial alignment between the optical fiber laser unit that rotates by being connected to the probe rotated according to the torque of the motor and the optical fiber laser unit that is connected to and fixed to the front-end unit A slip ring that provides an electrical connection between a signal line connected and fixed to the front end portion and a signal line that rotates by being connected between a probe that rotates by the motor The optical-ultrasonic fusion endoscope apparatus of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to claim 9, including

13. A catheter inserted into a preset object, A front end portion that provides a light output to the catheter via a cable and processes a signal of an image acquired by the catheter Including The catheter is An optical fiber laser unit that emits light from the front end portion, Disposed between an object to be measured and the optical fiber laser unit, transmits the light emitted from the optical fiber laser unit, is coaxially aligned with the light emitted from the optical fiber laser unit, emits ultrasonic waves to the object, receives the reflected ultrasonic waves, and transmits them to the front end portion A transparent ultrasonic sensor, An optical lens disposed between the transparent ultrasonic sensor and the optical fiber laser unit, which adjusts the characteristics of the light from the optical fiber laser unit The optical-ultrasonic fusion catheter apparatus of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate, including

14. The catheter further includes a reflector that changes the path of the light from the optical fiber laser unit to a preset angle. The optical-ultrasonic fusion catheter apparatus of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to claim 13.

15. The optical-ultrasonic fusion catheter apparatus of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to claim 13, wherein a plurality of the optical lenses are provided.

16. The transparent ultrasonic sensor is An alignment part that performs optical impedance matching and is made of a transparent material, A piezoelectric layer made of a transparent material, located behind the alignment part, A first electrode layer and a second electrode layer, each made of a transparent conductive material, located on the rear and front surfaces of the piezoelectric layer, respectively, A first housing connected to the first electrode layer, A second housing connected to the second electrode layer The optical-ultrasonic fusion catheter apparatus of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to claim 13, including

17. Further includes an operation part connected by the catheter and the cable to control the movement of the catheter, The operation part is A knob part that controls the movement of the catheter according to the user's operation, A suction valve that controls the suction operation of the suction part provided on the catheter an air / water valve that controls the operation of the water nozzle device provided in the catheter; an instrument port that controls the operation of a medical device through the forceps hole provided in the catheter The optical-ultrasonic fusion catheter device of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to claim 13, comprising:

18. further comprising a scanning unit connected by the catheter and the cable to control the scanning operation of the catheter, wherein the scanning unit a motor that provides torque to rotate the catheter, an optical fiber rotary joint that provides coaxial alignment between an optical fiber laser unit that is connected to and rotates with the catheter rotated according to the torque of the motor and an optical fiber laser unit that is connected to and fixed to the front end unit; a slip ring that provides electrical connection between a signal line connected to and fixed to the front end unit and a signal line connected to and rotated between the catheter rotated by the motor The optical-ultrasonic fusion catheter device of the transparent ultrasonic sensor substrate according to claim 13, comprising:

Images