US 11,937,978 B2
Handheld ultrasound and nuclear medicine fusion imaging device
Jung Yeol Yeom, Seoul (KR); Muhammad Nasir Ullah, Gumi-si (KR); and Chan Ho Kim, Seoul (KR)
Assigned to Korea University Research and Business Foundation, Seoul (KR)
Filed by Korea University Research and Business Foundation, Seoul (KR)
Filed on Mar. 4, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/191,815.
Application 17/191,815 is a continuation of application No. PCT/KR2020/008743, filed on Jul. 3, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2019-0081270 (KR), filed on Jul. 5, 2019; and application No. 10-2020-0075014 (KR), filed on Jun. 19, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0186465 A1, Jun. 24, 2021
Int. Cl. A61B 8/00 (2006.01); A61B 6/00 (2006.01); G01T 1/20 (2006.01); G01T 1/24 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 8/4444 (2013.01) [A61B 6/4258 (2013.01); A61B 6/4417 (2013.01); A61B 8/4416 (2013.01); G01T 1/20 (2013.01); A61B 6/4405 (2013.01); A61B 8/4483 (2013.01); G01T 1/24 (2013.01)] 2 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A handheld ultrasound and nuclear medicine fusion imaging device, comprising:
a transducer to transmit an ultrasound beam and receive a reflected beam;
a matching layer disposed on a first surface of the transducer to reduce a difference in acoustic resistance between the transducer and an affected part, to support the ultrasound beam to be transmitted into tissues and the reflected beam to be received;
an absorber comprising a first backing material disposed on a second surface of the transducer opposite to the first surface;
wherein the first backing material comprises epoxy and tungsten
a transmission layer disposed on the second surface comprising air or a second backing material having a lower density than the first backing material to transmit the gamma rays; and
a scintillator disposed on the transmission layer to detect gamma rays which are generated in the affected part and transmitted through the transducer and the matching layer,
wherein a lateral surface of the scintillator and the transmission layer are surrounded by the absorber, and
wherein the absorber serves as an acoustic absorber and as a collimator of the handheld ultrasound and nuclear medicine fusion imaging device, thereby absorbing the ultrasound beam transmitted in a direction from the first surface to the second surface and attenuating the gamma rays coming from an unwanted direction.