High frequency miniaturized transducer for facial and lingual full-mouth human imaging including third molars

Photoacoustic/ultrasound (PA/US) imaging can enable noninvasive periodontal diagnosis, but conventional probes are bulky and couple poorly, limiting access to posterior teeth. We developed a miniaturized dual-mode toothbrush-shaped transducer with a couplant sleeve for real-time PA/US imaging across the full human dentition. In vivo imaging of impacted third molars quantified gingival thickness and impaction angle. PA tests with methylene blue showed a 0.25 mM detection limit and 19.32% a relative standard deviation (RSD) across nine tubes, indicating uniform laser emission, enabling pocket-depth assessment without probing. Customized delay-and-sum beamforming improved resolution to 57±1.92 μm (axial) and 81±9.66 μm (lateral), significantly surpassing the default system.