Bioadhesive ultrasound for long-term continuous imaging of diverse organs

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 377; no. 6605; pp. 517 - 523
• Main Authors: Wang, Chonghe, Chen, Xiaoyu, Wang, Liu, Makihata, Mitsutoshi, Liu, Hsiao-Chuan, Zhou, Tao, Zhao, Xuanhe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington The American Association for the Advancement of Science 29.07.2022
• Subjects: Arrays; Biomedical materials; Carotid arteries; Carotid artery; Elastomers; Hydrogels; Image acquisition; In vivo methods and tests; Organs; Piezoelectricity; Ultrasound
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.abo2542

Continuous imaging of internal organs over days could provide crucial information about health and diseases and enable insights into developmental biology. We report a bioadhesive ultrasound (BAUS) device that consists of a thin and rigid ultrasound probe robustly adhered to the skin via a couplant made of a soft, tough, antidehydrating, and bioadhesive hydrogel-elastomer hybrid. The BAUS device provides 48 hours of continuous imaging of diverse internal organs, including blood vessels, muscle, heart, gastrointestinal tract, diaphragm, and lung. The BAUS device could enable diagnostic and monitoring tools for various diseases. Continuous long-term ultrasound imaging Ultrasound is widely used for the noninvasive imaging of tissues and organs, but this method requires close contact between the transducer and the target area. This can make it difficult to acquire images over a long period of time, especially if the patient needs to be mobile. Wang et al . describe a wearable ultrasound imaging device (see the Perspective by Tan and Lu). A rigid piezoelectric probe array is bonded to the skin with an acoustically transparent hydrogel elastomer. In vivo testing showed that the device could be comfortably worn for 48 hours, and hooking the array up to a commercially available ultrasound platform allowed for continuous ultrasound images of the carotid artery, lung, and abdomen. —MSL A durable bioadhesive hydrogel-elastomer enables continuous imaging of internal organs and tissues.