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Photoacoustic Sensing, Imaging, and Communications

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A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Remote Sensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 February 2024) | Viewed by 12162

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Fow-Sen Choa

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Guest Editor

Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
Interests: nanotechnology; sensor transducers and systems (photonic, acoustic, nuclear, magnetic, biomedic); neural engineering; EEG/fMRI brain imaging

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The processes of photoacoustic (PA) signal generation and detection have various applications including chemical sensing, imaging, and communications. In recent years, there has been extensive growth in each of these areas of application.

In terms of chemical sensing, since PA sensing is a “background-free” detection scheme, chemical-detection sensitivities of parts per billion to parts per trillion have been accomplished. Furthermore, with miniaturized light sources and detection devices such as quantum-cascade lasers and quartz tuning forks, the sizes, weights, and even costs of these sensing tools can be significantly reduced, which provides great growth opportunities for research and supporting tools in this area. Combined with other spectroscopic techniques such as frequency combs, PA sensing has great potential for real-time material or chemical analysis, with the characteristics of fast read out and signature identification.

In terms of imaging, PA imaging has been established as a new imaging modality with a high spatial resolution determined by the optical wavelength and a deep penetration-depth range determined by the acoustic waves, which no previous imaging techniques can provide. Furthermore, with the chemical-sensing capability, PA imaging can be functional, where, in an ideal condition, the tissue characteristics in an image could be identified or differentiated in real time. This could be highly useful for, for example, cancer surgeries, to determine where to cut and where to stop.

In terms of communications, undersea networks are using acoustic signal transmission since electromagnetic signals cannot propagate far. As an example, using aerials for undersea two-way PA signal generation and detection, aerial vehicles can initiate and then collect data obtained by undersea sensor networks on the fly.

The above descriptions provide an overview of some of the recent development efforts in the field of PA sensing, imaging, and communications. We invite the contribution of articles covering any of the PA-related areas. Individual topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

PA sensing;

PA spectroscopy;

Laser vibrometers;

PA imaging with improved depth and resolution;

PA functional imaging and/or functional microscopy;

PA communications.

Both review articles and original research papers are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Fow-Sen Choa
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sensors is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

photoacoustic sensing
photoacoustic chemical detection
spectroscopy
photoacoustic imaging
photoacoustic functional imaging
functional photoacoustic microscopy
photoacoustic aerials for undersea communications

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 7090 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Silicon-Cantilever-Enhanced Single-Fiber Photoacoustic Acetylene Gas Sensor

by Zhengyuan Zhang, Xinhong Fan, Yufu Xu, Yongqi Wang, Yiyao Tang, Rui Zhao, Chenxi Li, Heng Wang and Ke Chen

Sensors 2023, 23(17), 7644; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23177644 - 3 Sep 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1287

Abstract

A single-fiber photoacoustic (PA) sensor with a silicon cantilever beam for trace acetylene (C₂H₂) gas analysis was proposed. The miniature gas sensor mainly consisted of a microcantilever and a non-resonant PA cell for the real-time detection of acetylene gas. The gas diffused into the photoacoustic cell through the silicon cantilever beam gap. The volume of the PA cell in the sensor was about 14 μL. By using a 1 × 2 fiber optical coupler, a 1532.8 nm distributed feedback (DFB) laser and a white light interference demodulation module were connected to the single-fiber photoacoustic sensor. A silicon cantilever was utilized to improve the performance when detecting the PA signal. To eliminate the interference of the laser-reflected light, a part of the Fabry–Perot (F-P) interference spectrum was used for phase demodulation to achieve the highly sensitive detection of acetylene gas. The minimum detection limit (MDL) achieved was 0.2 ppm with 100 s averaging time. In addition, the calculated normalized noise equivalent absorption (NNEA) coefficient was 4.4 × 10⁻⁹ W·cm⁻¹·Hz^−1/2. The single-fiber photoacoustic sensor designed has great application prospects in the early warning of transformer faults. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photoacoustic Sensing, Imaging, and Communications)

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Review

Jump to: Research

32 pages, 8026 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Comprehensive Review on Photoacoustic-Based Devices for Biomedical Applications

by Rita Clarisse Silva Barbosa and Paulo M. Mendes

Sensors 2022, 22(23), 9541; https://doi.org/10.3390/s22239541 - 6 Dec 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3632

Abstract

The photoacoustic effect is an emerging technology that has sparked significant interest in the research field since an acoustic wave can be produced simply by the incidence of light on a material or tissue. This phenomenon has been extensively investigated, not only to perform photoacoustic imaging but also to develop highly miniaturized ultrasound probes that can provide biologically meaningful information. Therefore, this review aims to outline the materials and their fabrication process that can be employed as photoacoustic targets, both biological and non-biological, and report the main components’ features to achieve a certain performance. When designing a device, it is of utmost importance to model it at an early stage for a deeper understanding and to ease the optimization process. As such, throughout this article, the different methods already implemented to model the photoacoustic effect are introduced, as well as the advantages and drawbacks inherent in each approach. However, some remaining challenges are still faced when developing such a system regarding its fabrication, modeling, and characterization, which are also discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photoacoustic Sensing, Imaging, and Communications)

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15 pages, 4748 KiB

Open AccessReview

Whole-Body Photoacoustic Imaging Techniques for Preclinical Small Animal Studies

by Hyunjun Kye, Yuon Song, Tsedendamba Ninjbadgar, Chulhong Kim and Jeesu Kim

Sensors 2022, 22(14), 5130; https://doi.org/10.3390/s22145130 - 8 Jul 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2950

Abstract

Photoacoustic imaging is a hybrid imaging technique that has received considerable attention in biomedical studies. In contrast to pure optical imaging techniques, photoacoustic imaging enables the visualization of optical absorption properties at deeper imaging depths. In preclinical small animal studies, photoacoustic imaging is widely used to visualize biodistribution at the molecular level. Monitoring the whole-body distribution of chromophores in small animals is a key method used in preclinical research, including drug-delivery monitoring, treatment assessment, contrast-enhanced tumor imaging, and gastrointestinal tracking. In this review, photoacoustic systems for the whole-body imaging of small animals are explored and summarized. The configurations of the systems vary with the scanning methods and geometries of the ultrasound transducers. The future direction of research is also discussed with regard to achieving a deeper imaging depth and faster imaging speed, which are the main factors that an imaging system should realize to broaden its application in biomedical studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photoacoustic Sensing, Imaging, and Communications)

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28 pages, 4293 KiB

Open AccessReview

Cross-Medium Photoacoustic Communications: Challenges, and State of the Art

by Muntasir Mahmud, Md Shafiqul Islam, Akram Ahmed, Mohamed Younis and Fow-Sen Choa

Sensors 2022, 22(11), 4224; https://doi.org/10.3390/s22114224 - 1 Jun 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3058

Abstract

The current era is notably characterized by the major advances in communication technologies. The increased connectivity has been transformative in terrestrial, space, and undersea applications. Nonetheless, the water medium imposes unique constraints on the signals that can be pursued for establishing wireless links. While numerous studies have been dedicated to tackling the challenges for underwater communication, little attention has been paid to effectively interfacing the underwater networks to remote entities. Particularly it has been conventionally assumed that a surface node will be deployed to act as a relay using acoustic links for underwater nodes and radio links for air-based communication. Yet, such an assumption could be, in fact, a hindrance in practice. The paper discusses alternative means by allowing communication across the air–water interface. Specifically, the optoacoustic effect, also referred to as photoacoustic effect, is being exploited as a means for achieving connectivity between underwater and airborne nodes. The paper provides background, discusses technical challenges, and summarizes progress. Open research problems are also highlighted. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photoacoustic Sensing, Imaging, and Communications)

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