Noncontact laser ultrasound (NCLUS) Medical Imaging System

MIT LL and CURT MGH are developing a novel laser system that acquires ultrasound (US) images from human tissue without patient contact. The system is termed, noncontact laser ultrasound (NCLUS). NCLUS employs a pulsed laser that converts optical energy to US waves at the skin surface via thermoelastic mechanisms. A laser Doppler vibrometer then measures emerging US waves from the tissue interior arriving at the skin surface.NCLUS has potential to advance medical US by overcoming limitations of a contact US probe. Due to its noncontact nature, NCLUS is intended to 1) mitigate operator variability, 2) provide a fixed reference for comparing repeat scans over time, 3) fully automate US image data acquisition, reducing the need for a sonographer, and 4) transmit US in any "array" locations desired. NCLUS can deliver a wide range of array compositions that yield great versatility in acoustic beam shaping and steering in tissue.NCLUS is designed with the goal for multiple applications: anatomical imaging, bone elastography, disease feature tracking, US acquisition through burned or traumatized tissue, neck injuries, open surgical regions, neonatal care, and so forth. We constructed an automated/portable system for upcoming clinical tests that incorporates skin safe lasers which acquire US data in an operationally relevant time frame.