A study, published in the journal Light Science & Application, demonstrated that MIT researchers developed an alternative technology to conventional ultrasound. The new technology removes the direct contact of the ultrasound machine to the patient’s skin. Utilizing a laser, the novel technology sends light pulses which are absorbed on the skin and converts it into sound waves using the photoacoustic effect.
The generated sound waves interact with tissue the same way seen in conventional ultrasound. Reflected signals are measured by a laser interferometer on the skin surface. The lasers are moved across the skin surface to produce an image. The system showed that laser ultrasound is sensitive to tissue features that a conventional ultrasound can detect. The new technique can image at centimeter depths which is deeper than other optical ultrasound techniques and comparable to modern clinical ultrasound.
Such technology provides solutions to conventional ultrasound’s limitations due to its reliance on skin contact. Laser ultrasound technology shows promise in other applications where skin contact is not applicable, like trauma, burn and surgical patients.