Acousto-optic sensing and imaging

We are working to develop a table-top AO sensing system using laser optics technology in the near IR regime at 1064 nm.

Abstract

Acousto-optic (AO) sensing utilizes changes in the fluence of laser light that is phase-modulated by an ultrasound beam to infer the optical properties of a medium. Laser light passing through an ultrasound beam is phase modulated at the ultrasound frequency (typically near 1 MHz). By sensing changes in the fluence of modulated light, it is possible to infer changes in the optical properties of the medium – a technique called acousto-optic (AO) sensing. The overall objective of our research is to develop AO sensing techniques for monitoring high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy, an emerging clinical application which kills diseased tissue (such as tumors) by creating lesions non-invasively using ultrasound energy. This procedure is notoriously difficult to monitor using conventional ultrasound techniques, however, acousto-optic sensing – the interaction of light and sound waves – presents a new potential modality. The utility of this overall approach has been demonstrated by our group in previous work.

Collaborators

Prof. Robin Cleveland, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oxford  

Recent Publications and Presentations

  • Adams, M.T., Cleveland, R.O., and Roy, R.A., “A modeling-based design and assessment of an acousto-optic guided high-intensity focused ultrasound system,” J. Biomed. Opt. 22(1) (2017).
  • Roy, R.A., Lai, P., Adams, M.T., Murray, T.W, and Cleveland, R.O., “Acousto-optic monitoring of thermal lesions from high intensity focused ultrasound exposure ex vivo,” presented at the 2015 Industrial Congress on Ultrasonics, Metz, France, May 2015.
  • Roy, R.A., Lai, P., and Murray, T.W., “Quantitative optical imaging in diffuse media by pressure-contrast acousto-optic sensing,” presented at the 2015 Industrial Congress on Ultrasonics, Metz, France, May 2015.
  • Roy, R.A., Adams, M.T. and Cleveland, R.O., “Acousto-optic sensing of non-cavitating HIFU thermal lesions,” presented at the 15th International Symposium on Therapeutic Ultrasound, Utrecht, Netherlands, April 2015.
  • Adams, M.T., Cleveland, R.O., and Roy, R.A., “Modeling acousto-optic guided high-intensity focused ultrasound lesion formation,” presented at the 2014 Ultrasonic Imaging and Tissue Characterization Symposium, Arlington, VA June 2014.