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Ultrasound Innovation: Sensing the Unseen

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March 11, 2024

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An innovative ultrasound-based sensing technique originally developed for medical purposes is now showing promise for broader applications. The inspiration behind this groundbreaking technique stemmed from a simple yet crucial question: how can we effectively detect leaks from the gut following gastric surgery?

Traditional imaging methods such as ultrasound, CT scans, and MRI scans were found to be inadequate for remotely assessing the local chemistry around internal wounds. To address this challenge, Northwestern University collaborated with the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis to devise a solution: the use of fingerprint-sized stickers embedded with circular metallic discs.

"The acoustic properties of the metal disks differ significantly from those of the surrounding tissue, creating a strong contrast in ultrasound images," explained Professor John Rogers, a bio-electronics specialist at Northwestern University renowned for his work on implantable medical devices. These stickers are designed to react to specific chemical changes, such as the swelling of a hydrogel in response to acidity, causing the metallic dots to shift noticeably during an ultrasound scan.

The team successfully created stickers with substrates ranging from 4 to 12mm in size, each containing dots measuring less than 1mm across. Recognizing the potential challenge of manually interpreting the ultrasound images, the researchers also developed sophisticated software capable of automatically analyzing the images to detect any relative movement of the metallic discs with high accuracy.

During surgical procedures, these stickers can be affixed to organs or inserted into the desired location through a hollow needle from outside the body. Just like other temporary devices developed by Professor Rogers, the materials used in these stickers are carefully selected to ensure that they can be fully absorbed by the body over time, eliminating the need for removal procedures.

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