Patent ID: 8262576

Claim:
An imaging probe, suitable to be inserted into a tubular object to detect an interior image of the tubular object, comprising: a light source excitation assembly comprising: a pulsed laser suitable to generate a pulsed light energy; a first optical fiber having a first incident end and a first emitting end, the first incident end receiving the pulsed light energy, and the pulsed light energy leaving the first optical fiber via the first emitting end; a cone-shaped reflecting member having a tapered end facing the first emitting end, and the cone-shaped reflecting member being suitable to reflect the pulsed light energy emitted from the first emitting end to let the pulsed light energy annularly irradiate an inner wall of the tubular object to produce a photoacoustic signal; an ultrasonic transducer surrounding the first optical fiber, the ultrasonic transducer being suitable to generate an ultrasonic signal, and the ultrasonic signal annularly irradiating the inner wall of the tubular object to produce an ultrasonic echo signal; and a receiver having a receiving portion disposed between the first emitting end and the ultrasonic transducer, and the receiving portion being configured to receive the photoacoustic signal and the ultrasonic echo signal.