Volumetric photoacoustic endoscopy of upper gastrointestinal tract: Ultrasonic transducer technology development

Abstract

We have successfully implemented a focused ultrasonic transducer for photoacoustic endoscopy. The photoacoustic endoscopic probe's ultrasound transducer determines the lateral resolution of the system. By using a focused ultrasonic transducer, we significantly improved the endoscope's spatial resolution and signal-to-noise ratio. This paper describes the technical details of the ultrasonic transducer incorporated into the photoacoustic endoscopic probe and the experimental results from which the transducer's resolution is quantified and the image improvement is validated.