APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR EXPANDING VIEW ANGLE OF INTRAVASCULAR ULTRASOUND TRANSDUCER

摘要

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for expanding a view angle of an intravascular ultrasound transducer, and more particularly to an apparatus for expanding a view angle of an intravascular ultrasound transducer, wherein first and second ultrasound transducers are installed on a side surface and a front surface of a distal part of a catheter inserted into a vein such that a plurality of images are simultaneously acquired in real time at lateral and front sides of the catheter, the first ultrasound transducer is installed on one side surface of the distal part of the catheter, and the second ultrasound transducer is curved to extend from one side surface to a central part of the front surface of the catheter, wherein the first ultrasound transducer is curved for a condensation function as a single piezoelectric element or a concave/convex lens is further installed in the first ultrasound transducer, and the second ultrasound transducer provides images having angles of view of 90° or more between lateral and front sides of the vein by arranging piezoelectric elements as array piezoelectric elements such that a plurality of scanning lines are realized on the side and front surfaces of the distal end of the catheter. According to the present invention, because ultrasound transducers are disposed on the lateral and front surfaces of a distal part of the catheter and the distal part of the catheter has a convex spherical surface shape, images can be provided at lateral and front sides of the distal end of the catheter, and a death angle area of an image between the lateral and front sides of the distal end of the catheter can be eliminated.;COPYRIGHT KIPO 2015