Acoustical characterisation of carbon nanotube-loaded polydimethylsiloxane used for optical ultrasound generation

An optical ultrasound generator was used to perform broadband (2-35 MHz) acoustical characterisation measurements of a nanocomposite comprising carbon nanotubes (CNT) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a composite that is commonly used as optical ultrasound generator. Samples consisting of either pure PDMS or CNT-loaded PDMS were characterised to determine the influence of CNTs on the speed of sound and power-law acoustic attenuation parameters. A small weight fraction (<; 1.8%) of added CNTs was found to yield a prominent increase in the exponent of the power law, resulting in a significant increase in acoustic attenuation at higher frequencies. The speed of sound was found to be nearly identical, however. These results could prove useful in the numerical modelling and design of future optical ultrasound sources based on CNT-loaded PDMS

Through-needle all-optical ultrasound imaging in vivo: a preclinical swine study

This work was funded through a Starting Grant from the European Research Council (ERC-2012-StG, Proposal 310970 MOPHIM), an Innovative Engineering for Health award from the Wellcome Trust (WT101957) and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) (NS/A000027/1), and the EPSRC and European Union project FAMOS (FP7 ICT, Contract 317744). This work was partially funded by National Institute for Health Research University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre and the National Institute for Health Research Barts and the London Biomedical Research Unit