Transparent capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer linear arrays for combined realtime optical and ultrasonic imaging | JoVE Visualize

Transparent capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer linear arrays for combined realtime optical and ultrasonic imaging

Afshin Kashani Ilkhechi, Christopher Ceroici, Eric Dew

Optics Letters|April 1, 2021

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

This study introduces transparent capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducers (CMUTs) enabling combined optical and ultrasonic imaging. This breakthrough allows simultaneous visualization and scanning, paving the way for advanced medical probes.

Area of Science:

Optics and Photonics
Biomedical Engineering
Materials Science

Background:

Transparent ultrasound transducers are crucial for integrating optical and ultrasonic technologies.
Previous work demonstrated transparent CMUTs for photoacoustic imaging.
Combining real-time optical and ultrasonic imaging offers significant advantages for various applications.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the feasibility of transparent CMUTs for simultaneous ultrasound and white-light imaging.
To develop and characterize transparent CMUT arrays for multi-modal imaging applications.
To demonstrate the potential of this technology for applications requiring co-registered optical and ultrasonic data.

Main Methods:

Fabrication of transparent CMUT devices using adhesive wafer bonding.
Characterization of optical transparency (up to 90%) and ultrasonic performance (9 MHz central frequency, 128 elements).
Real-time plane-wave ultrasound imaging and through-array white-light imaging using a miniature camera.

Main Results:

Achieved lateral and axial resolutions of 234 µm and 338 µm, respectively, for ultrasound imaging.
Demonstrated high transmit sensitivity (1.4 kPa/V) and signal-to-noise ratio (28.4 dB) for transparent CMUTs.
Successfully combined real-time ultrasound imaging with through-array white-light imaging using transparent arrays.

Conclusions:

Transparent CMUT technology enables the first report of combined real-time optical and ultrasonic imaging with transparent arrays.
This technology allows users to visually see what is being scanned and scan what is seen, eliminating co-registration errors.
Potential future applications include multi-modality probes for interventional and surgical procedures, enhancing diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities.