Opto-acoustic transducer for medical applications

(57) Summary book invention is a transducer (14) which generates acoustical vibration in a biological medium and which is driven optically. A transducer is arranged at the end of an optical fiber (10), and an optical fiber can be arranged in a catheter. The energy which operates a transducer is optically offered by the laser beam transmitted to a transducer through an optical fiber. The pulse-ized laser beam is absorbed in the operation fluid (20) of a transducer, heat insulation curvilinear expansion of thermal pressure and the transducer as the result is generated, and it acts on the surrounding medium. A transducer returns to the state of the origin of it by thermal cooling. Movement of the transducer in the inside of a circumference medium combines acoustical energy (24) with a medium. By pulse-izing laser at a repetitive high rate (change is possible from CW to 100 kHz), an ultrasonic emission community is locally establishable in a medium. The generation method of this supersonic vibration can be used in the living body for the disposal relevant to man's fit, especially the dissolution of a thrombus. Moreover, the catheter can introduce anti-thrombus collapse medicine disposal as auxiliary medical treatment, and it can operate in relation with the ultrasonic detection control for imaging and feedback control.