High-sensitivity optical detectors for ultrasound sensing

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Vasilis Ntziachristos, since 1/2015
• Subject Area: Medical Physics, Biomedical Technology
• Term: from 2013 to 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 239809653

In the medical field, ultrasound detection has grown synonymous with piezoelectric technology. The high sensitivity of piezoelectric detectors combined with multiplexing capabilities has made them one of the enabling factors of modern-day ultrasonography. However, piezoelectric detectors also suffer from several drawbacks which limit their application: They are vulnerable to electromagnetic interference; maintain a direct relation between size and sensitivity; and are often opaque. These disadvantages have become a major barrier in the application of new technologies such as optoacoustics and radiofrequency thermoacoustics, which rely on ultrasound detection. The proposed project aims at developing novel optical detectors for ultrasound. Although optical schemes have been researched for over three decades, they have not reached the reliability and performance level of their piezoelectric counterparts. Specifically, increasing the sensitivity of optical sensors to ultrasound inevitably increases their sensitivity to external disturbances such as temperature, pressure, and vibrations, which ultimately saturate the sensor. In the proposed project, a newly developed scheme for optical-sensor readout is to be used to circumvent this major hurdle. The project will focus on optimizing the sensitivity of the technique, enabling its multiplexing, characterizing its performance, and verifying its performance in real-world settings.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Major Instrumentation: Pulsed fs laser
• Instrumentation Group: 5700 Festkörper-Laser
• Ehemaliger Antragsteller: Dr. Amir Rozental, until 11/2014