Laser-Based Ultrasound Images from a Distance

Laser-Based Ultrasound Images from a Distance
Dec-23-19
A laser ultrasound system able to perform scans at a distance offers a contact-free way to image burn victims or patients trapped in hard-to-reach places.

Developed by a team at MIT, the ultrasound system relies on a single pulsed laser that generates sound waves detected by a second, continuous laser able to measure the reflected vibrations as they bounce off the patient’s tissues. These vibrations can be analyzed and translated to an image similar to those acquired using standard ultrasound. In tests, the system was able to generate images about six centimeters below the skin from half a meter away.

According to senior author Brian W. Anthony, “Imagine we get to a point where we can do everything ultrasound can do now, but at a distance. This gives you a whole new way of seeing organs inside the body and determining properties of deep tissue, without making contact with the patient.”

Image: The new laser ultrasound technique was used to produce an image (left) of a human forearm (above), which was also imaged using conventional ultrasound (right).

Laser-Based Ultrasound Images from a Distance


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[TECHEXPLORIST.COM]
[NEWS.MIT.EDU]
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