Dynamic Ultrasound Projector Controlled by Light.

Area of Science:

• Acoustic physics
• Optics
• Biomedical engineering

Background:

• Dynamic acoustic wavefront control is crucial for applications like biomedical imaging and particle manipulation.
• Conventional methods using phased transducer arrays offer limited control due to a small number of elements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel method for dynamic acoustic wavefront control using light-induced microbubbles.
• To demonstrate the capability of this method in generating complex acoustic fields and patterns.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing structured light projection to trigger localized electrolysis and generate microbubble patterns.
• Employing microbubbles to modulate the wavefront of acoustic waves from a single transducer.
• Developing an acoustic projector capable of generating various acoustic images and patterns.

Main Results:

• Successfully generated dynamic microbubble patterns using low-intensity light (65 mW cm⁻²) in approximately 100 ms.
• Demonstrated the ability of microbubble patterns to modify acoustic wavefronts, creating predicted acoustic fields.
• Realized an acoustic projector capable of producing multiple foci and acoustic phase gradients.

Conclusions:

• The combination of optical projectors and microbubble generation offers a versatile scheme for dynamic acoustic field control.
• This method has the potential to benefit numerous applications requiring precise manipulation of ultrasound.
• The technique provides a new pathway for advanced acoustic imaging and particle manipulation systems.