DORMOUSE: Detection Of Reflected Microscopic Optical UltraSound Emission

睡鼠：反射显微光学超声波发射的检测

• 批准号: 2739943
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Imperial College London
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2022 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2739943
• 关键词: DORMOUSE; Detection; Reflected; Microscopic; Optical

Aim of the PhD Project:Investigate a new method for mapping ultrasound waves using lightBuild a system to perform stand-off high-resolution ultrasound detectionDemonstrate imaging of a live subject based on this newly-developed technologyProject DescriptionAny science fiction fan knows the power of high-resolution whole-body imaging; a patient on a hospital bed is probed by unseen sensors, producing a virtual reconstruction of their body, which hovers over the bed, being manipulated, investigated and examined by the doctor. While existing whole-body imaging methods like CT, MRI, PET and SPECT can get some way towards this ideal, we still lack a truly whole-body imaging technique that is fast, high-resolution, non-invasive and safe for long-term monitoring.Ultrasound imaging is the best technology for reaching this whole-body imaging ideal; it is non-invasive, can resolve features as small as 100 micrometres, and has extremely high data throughput. Nevertheless, it has traditionally been limited by the lack of high-resolution acoustic transmitters and receivers. Unlike cameras, which can record data with hundreds of megapixels of resolution, ultrasound transducers are limited to a few thousand pixels at most, and usually fewer than one hundred. Furthermore, ultrasound transducers must remain in contact with the patient, since ultrasound doesn't travel through air efficiently. The dream of creating a whole-body scanner requires a means of bridging this air-gap, and with a megapixel-resolution transducer array.Fortunately for us, light is transmitted through air efficiently, and can be used to image acoustic waves. Furthermore, light can be patterned with megapixel resolution, sufficient to image a large fraction of an adult human body quickly, provided there is a way to turn the laser signal into an acoustic one and back again. In this project, a new type of approach will be developed, based on imaging the light in an optical fiber. This light changes when a sound wave passes, which is what allows us to detect the optical signal. An image of the proposed instrument in operation can be seen in the Figure.The student will be part of a large ongoing collaboration to develop high-resolution optical ultrasound systems. They will be responsible for developing a fast ultrasound detector that can be scaled to large numbers of pixels (based on a silicon photomultiplier array and digital capture card) and using it to prototype a system that can image an acoustic field. The project will then progress to creating a small example instrument which can detect ultrasound at a range of several meters, with an initial resolution of 4X4 pixels, but which can be scaled arbitrarily just by adding more detectors.

博士项目目标：研究一种利用光绘制超声波的新方法建立一个系统来执行远距离高分辨率超声检测基于这项新开发的技术演示活体受试者的成像任何科幻小说爱好者都知道高分辨率全身成像的力量；躺在病床上的病人被看不见的传感器探测，产生他们身体的虚拟重建，在床上盘旋，由医生操纵、调查和检查。虽然现有的全身成像方法，如CT、MRI、PET和SPECT可以在一定程度上实现这一理想，但我们仍然缺乏一种真正的快速、高分辨率、无创和安全的长期监测全身成像技术。超声成像是实现这种全身成像理想的最佳技术；它是非侵入性的，可以解析小到100微米的特征，并且具有极高的数据吞吐量。然而，由于缺乏高分辨率的声波发射器和接收器，传统上它一直受到限制。与可以记录数亿像素分辨率数据的照相机不同，超声波换能器最多只能记录几千像素，通常少于100像素。此外，超声波换能器必须与病人保持接触，因为超声波不能有效地通过空气传播。创造一个全身扫描仪的梦想需要一种弥合这种气隙的方法，以及一个百万像素分辨率的传感器阵列。对我们来说幸运的是，光可以有效地通过空气传播，并且可以用来对声波成像。此外，如果有办法将激光信号转换成声波信号并再转换回来，那么光就可以以百万像素的分辨率形成图案，足以快速成像成人身体的大部分。在这个项目中，将开发一种基于光纤中光成像的新型方法。当声波通过时，这种光会发生变化，这使得我们能够探测到光信号。拟建仪器的运作图像见图。该学生将参与一项正在进行的开发高分辨率光学超声系统的大型合作。他们将负责开发一种可以缩放到大量像素的快速超声探测器（基于硅光电倍增管阵列和数字捕获卡），并使用它来制作一个可以对声场成像的系统原型。然后，该项目将继续创建一个小型示例仪器，可以检测几米范围内的超声波，初始分辨率为4X4像素，但可以通过添加更多探测器任意缩放。