NON-CONTACT OPTICAL SYSTEM FOR DETECTING ULTRASOUND WAVES FROM A SURFACE

• US 20130338504A1
• Filed: 03/13/2012
• Published: 12/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Demos, Stavros G., Rubenchik, Alexander M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,390,709 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/443
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0097 by applying acoustic waves and detecting light, i.e. acoustooptic measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4272 involving the acoustic interface between the transducer and the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4281 characterised by sound-transmitting media or devices for coupling the transducer to the tissue

Abstract

A system for detecting pressure, acoustic or ultrasound waves within an entity having a surface including the steps of attaching a signal converting material to the surface. The waves are generated by direct ejection from the surface, generation via energy deposition on the surface, generated spontaneously or, generated by directing light energy to the light absorbing target. The absorbing target subsequently generates acoustic pressure waves. The acoustic waves propagate to the surface of the entity and the signal converting material, wherein the acoustic pressure waves create vibrations in the signal converting material; and detecting the waves in the signal converting material with an optical detection system. Information about the absorbing target is obtained by the absorbing target reflecting the waves. The signal converting material can be a gel-like material containing optical elements, a multi-layer patch, or other material.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining information about a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue, comprising:

attaching a signal converting material to the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue;

directing energy to the target organ or entity thereby depositing energy on the target organ or entity or reflecting energy from the target organ or entity, wherein pressure waves travel from the target organ or entity and propagate to the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue and said signal converting material, wherein said pressure waves create modifications in said signal converting material; and

detecting said modifications in said signal converting material with an optical detection system thereby obtaining information about the target organ or entity of the patient.

2. The method of obtaining information about a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 1 wherein said step of attaching a signal converting material to the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue comprises attaching a signal converting material containing optical elements to the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue.

3. The method of obtaining information about a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 1 wherein said step of attaching a signal converting material to the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue comprises attaching a signal converting material containing microscopic particles to the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue.

4. The method of obtaining information about a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 1 wherein said step of attaching a signal converting material to the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue comprises attaching a signal converting material containing nanoparticles to the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue.

5. The method of obtaining information about a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 1 wherein said step of attaching a signal converting material to the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue comprises attaching a signal converting material containing particles of reflective materials to the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue.

6. The method of obtaining information about a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 1 wherein said step of attaching a signal converting material to the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue comprises attaching a signal converting material containing particles of aluminum or silver or gold to the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue.

7. The method of obtaining information about a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 1 wherein said step of attaching a signal converting material to the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue comprises attaching a signal converting material containing particles of refractive materials or birefringent materials or fluorescing materials or materials which change the polarization of light or material which can alter some other property of incoming light to the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue.

8. The method of obtaining information about a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 1 wherein said step of attaching a signal converting material to the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue comprises attaching a gel-like material containing optical elements to the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue.

9. The method of obtaining information about a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 1 wherein said step of attaching a signal converting material to the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue comprises attaching a patch with material containing optical elements to the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue.

10. The method of obtaining information about a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 1 wherein said step of attaching a signal converting material to the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue comprises attaching a patch having a multilayer structure that react to said pressure waves.

11. The method of obtaining information about a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 1 wherein said step of attaching a signal converting material to the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue comprises attaching a patch having a multilayer structure having layers that are modified by said pressure waves.

12. The method of obtaining information about a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 1 wherein said step of directing energy to the target organ or entity thereby depositing energy on the target organ or entity or reflecting energy from the target organ or entity comprises directing acoustic energy to the target organ or entity thereby reflecting acoustic waves from the target organ or entity wherein said acoustic waves travel from the target organ or entity and propagate to the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue and said signal converting material.

13. The method of obtaining information about a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 1 wherein said step of directing energy to the target organ or entity thereby depositing energy on the target organ or entity or reflecting energy from the target organ or entity comprises using a laser for directing light energy to the target organ or entity.

14. The method of obtaining information about a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 1 wherein said step of directing energy to the target organ or entity thereby depositing energy on the target organ or entity or reflecting energy from the target organ or entity comprises using a non-laser light source or a microwave source for directing energy to the target organ or entity.

15. The method of obtaining information about a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 1 wherein said step of directing energy to the target organ or entity thereby depositing energy on the target organ or entity or reflecting energy from the target organ or entity comprises using a piezoelectric transducer for directing energy to the target organ or entity.

16. The method of obtaining information about a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 1 wherein said step of directing energy to the target organ or entity thereby depositing energy on the target organ or entity or reflecting energy from the target organ or entity comprises using an absorber on the patient'"'"'s tissue or the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue for directing energy to the target organ or entity.

17. The method of obtaining information about a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 1 wherein said step of directing energy to the target organ or entity thereby depositing energy on the target organ or entity or reflecting energy from the target organ or entity comprises using absorber on the patient'"'"'s tissue and an excitation source that deposits energy on the absorber on the patient'"'"'s tissue for directing energy to the target organ or entity.

18. A medical system for obtaining information about a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue, comprising:

a signal converting material connected to the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue;

a unit that directs energy to the target organ or entity thereby depositing energy on the target organ or entity or reflecting energy from the target organ or entity, wherein pressure waves travel from the target organ or entity and propagate to the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue and said signal converting material, wherein said pressure waves create modifications in said signal converting material; and

an optical detection system that senses said modifications in said signal converting material and obtains the information about the target organ or entity of the patient.

19. The medical system for obtaining an image of a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 18 wherein said signal converting material comprises a gel-like material containing optical elements.

20. The medical system for obtaining an image of a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 18 wherein said signal converting material comprises a cream like material containing optical elements.

21. The medical system for obtaining an image of a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 18 wherein said signal converting material comprises a material containing optical elements.

22. The medical system for obtaining an image of a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 21 wherein said optical elements comprise nano particles.

23. The medical system for obtaining an image of a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 21 wherein said optical elements comprise particles of reflective materials.

24. The medical system for obtaining an image of a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 21 wherein said optical elements comprise particles of aluminum or silver or gold.

25. The medical system for obtaining an image of a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 21 wherein said optical comprise particles of refractive materials or birefringent materials or fluorescing materials or materials which change the polarization of light or material which can alter some other property of incoming light to the surface.

26. The medical system for obtaining an image of a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 18 wherein said signal converting material comprises a multilayer structure that react to said pressure waves.

27. The medical system for obtaining an image of a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 18 wherein said signal converting material comprises a multilayer structure having layers that are modified by said pressure waves.

28. The medical system for obtaining an image of a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 18 wherein said unit that directs energy to the target organ or entity of a patient is a laser.

29. The medical system for obtaining information about a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 18 wherein said unit that directs energy to the target organ or entity of a patient is a non-laser light source or microwave source.

30. The medical system for obtaining information about a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 18 wherein said unit that directs energy to the target organ or entity of a patient is a piezoelectric transducer for directing energy to the target organ or entity.

31. The medical system for obtaining information about a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 18 wherein said unit that directs energy to the target organ or entity of a patient is an absorber on the patient'"'"'s tissue or the surface of the patients tissue for directing energy to the target organ or entity.

32. The medical system for obtaining information about a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue of claim 18 wherein said unit that directs energy to the target organ or entity of a patient is an absorber on the patient'"'"'s tissue and an excitation source that deposits energy on the absorber on the patient'"'"'s tissue for directing energy to the target organ or entity.

33. A medical system for obtaining information about a target organ or entity of a patient through the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue wherein the target organ or entity of the patient produces waves in the patient'"'"'s tissue, comprising:

a signal converting material connected to the surface of the patient'"'"'s tissue, wherein the waves in the patient'"'"'s tissue produces modifications in said signal converting material; and

an optical detection system that senses said modifications in said signal converting material and obtains the information about the target organ or entity of the patient.

34. The medical system of claim 33 wherein said signal converting material comprises a gel-like material containing optical elements.

35. The medical system of claim 33 wherein said signal converting material comprises a cream like material containing optical elements.

36. The medical system of claim 33 wherein said signal converting material comprises a material containing optical elements.

37. The medical system of claim 36 wherein said optical elements comprise nanoparticles.

38. The medical system of claim 36 wherein said optical elements comprise particles of reflective materials.

39. The medical system of claim 36 wherein said optical elements comprise particles of aluminum or silver or gold.

40. The medical system of claim 36 wherein said optical comprise particles of refractive materials or birefringent materials or fluorescing materials or materials which change the polarization of light or material which can alter some other property of incoming light to the surface.

41. The medical system of claim 33 wherein said signal converting material comprises a multilayer structure that reacts to said pressure waves.

42. The medical system of claim 33 wherein said signal converting material comprises a multilayer structure having layers that are modified by said pressure waves.

43. A method of obtaining information about an energy absorbing target within an entity having a surface, comprising:

attaching a signal converting material to the surface;

directing energy to the energy absorbing target thereby depositing energy on the energy absorbing target, wherein the energy absorbing target subsequently generates pressure waves that propagate to the surface of the entity and said signal converting material, wherein said pressure waves create modifications in said signal converting material;

directing energy to the energy absorbing target thereby depositing energy on the energy absorbing target or reflecting energy from the energy absorbing target, wherein pressure waves travel from the energy absorbing target and propagate to the surface and said signal converting material, wherein said pressure waves create modifications in said signal converting material; and

detecting said modifications in said signal converting material with a detection system thereby obtaining information about the energy absorbing target.

44. The method of obtaining information about an energy absorbing target within an entity having a surface of claim 43 wherein said step of attaching a signal converting material to the surface comprises attaching a signal converting material containing optical elements to the surface.

45. The method of obtaining information about an energy absorbing target within an entity having a surface of claim 43 wherein said step of attaching a signal converting material to the surface comprises attaching a patch having a multilayer structure that react to said pressure waves.

46. The method of obtaining information about an energy absorbing target within an entity having a surface of claim 43 wherein said step of attaching a signal converting material to the surface comprises attaching a patch having a multilayer structure having layers that are modified by said pressure waves.