3D Motorized Water-Mediated Ultrasound Platform for Preclinical Research

One of the biggest challenges in ultrasound imaging is simply getting the sound into the body. Even the smallest layer of air can reflect almost all of the ultrasound energy, dramatically weakening the signal and limiting image quality. Because of this, successful ultrasound imaging relies on a coupling medium that minimizes signal attenuation, the loss of sound wave energy through absorption and/or scattering as it travels through a material.

To overcome this limitation, many imaging setups rely on water as a coupling medium due to its near-zero attenuation factor and acoustic impedance being the closest match to that of blood and soft tissue. However, in small-animal studies where wireless point of care ultrasound devices can be used for imaging mice in vivo, there is currently no standardized platform to facilitate water-mediated imaging of these mice while submerged. While it is possible to create an ad hoc setup, these trials are virtually impossible to recreate across lab settings where the methods cannot be precisely replicated. In addition to introducing uncertainty, these setups are further limited by the fixed probe position, as true 3D volumetric reconstruction requires a series of images taken over a specified distance scanned laterally over the subject.