Miniaturized photoacoustic imaging apparatus including a rotatable reflector

1. A reflection-mode photoacoustic endoscope comprising:

a tube forming an outermost sheath of a distal end of the endoscope;

a light source configured to emit a light pulse suitable for photoacoustic imaging;

an ultrasonic transducer configured to detect a response signal, wherein the ultrasound transducer is affixed to the tube within the catheter body; and

a light and acoustic reflector rotatable relative to the tube in a scanning pattern, the scanning pattern comprising rotating the light and acoustic reflector about a longitudinal axis of the tube through a plurality of positions within a full circumferential sweep, wherein the response signal is detectable at each position of the plurality of positions.

2. The endoscope of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic transducer is further configured to emit an ultrasonic pulse.

3. The endoscope of claim 2 , wherein the light and acoustic reflector:

reflects at least one of the light pulse and the ultrasonic pulse into a target area of an object; and

reflects a response signal from the target area to said ultrasonic signal detection unit, the response signal being one of a photoacoustic wave and an ultrasonic pulse echo.

4. The endoscope of claim 2 , wherein the photoacoustic wave is generated by the object responsive to the light pulse and the ultrasonic pulse echo is generated by the object responsive to the ultrasonic pulse.

5. The endoscope of claim 1 , wherein the scanning pattern further comprises one or more of: translating along the longitudinal axis of the tube, and tilting about a tilt axis oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tube.

6. The endoscope of claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises an external pulse laser positioned outside of the tube, and at least one optical fiber, wherein the external pulse laser is configured to emit the light pulse suitable for photoacoustic imaging and the at least one optical fiber is configured to direct the light pulse from the external pulse laser to the light and acoustic reflector.

7. The endoscope of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasound transducer is a focused ultrasonic transducer selected from: a curved ultrasonic transducer with a hemispherical surface, a planar ultrasonic transducer with an acoustic lens attached, and an electronically focused ultrasonic array transducer.

8. The endoscope of claim 1 , wherein ultrasound transducer is positioned with a fixed orientation with respect to the tube.