MAE Seminar: “Light Plus Sound: Photoacoustic Imaging (PAI) and Photo-mediated Ultrasound Therapy (PUT)”

Abstract:

Photoacoustic imaging (PAI), also referred to as optoacoustic imaging, is an emerging biomedical imaging technology that is noninvasive, nonionizing, with high sensitivity, satisfactory imaging depth and good temporal and spatial resolution. Like conventional optical imaging, PAI presents the optical contrast which is highly sensitive to molecular conformation and biochemical contents of tissues and can aid in describing tissue metabolic and hemodynamic changes. Unlike conventional optical imaging, the spatial resolution of PAI is not limited by the strong light diffusion but instead determined by the measurement of light-generated ultrasonic signals. As a result, the resolution of PAI is parallel to high-frequency ultrasonography.

In this talk, I will introduce some of our recently development of PAI technologies at the University of Michigan, and the applications of PAI to inflammatory arthritis, cancer, brain conditions, Crohn’s disease, and eye diseases. I will also present our recent development of a photoacoustic based anti-vascular technology named photo-mediated ultrasound therapy (PUT). Using a combination of a low intensity laser concurrently with ultrasound, PUT can noninvasively remove microvessels without damaging surrounding biological tissue, and shows potential to the treatment of a variety of diseases associated with neoangiogenesis, such as age-related macular degeneration and port-wine stain.

Bio:

Dr. Xueding Wang is a Professor at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, holding an adjunct Professor position at the Department of Radiology.  Dr. Wang has extensive experience in imaging system development and adaptation of novel diagnostic technology to laboratory research and clinical managements, especially those involving light and ultrasound. Sponsored by NIH, NSF, DoD and other funding agencies, his research has led to over 150+ peer-reviewed journal publications. At the University of Michigan Medical School, a major part of his research is focused on clinical applications of photoacoustic imaging, including those involving arthritis, prostate cancer, breast cancer, Crohn’s disease, neurological disorders, and eye diseases. Dr. Wang is the recipient of the Sontag Foundation Fellow of the Arthritis National Research Foundation in 2005, and the Distinguished Investigator Award of the Academy of Radiology Research in 2013. Dr. Wang is a fellow of SPIE and AIMBE. He is also sitting on the editorial boards of scientific journals including Photoacoustics, Journal of Biomedical Optics, Medical Physics, and Ultrasonic Imaging, and being the steering committee member of the Journal of Lightwave Technology.