Ultrasound

The quality of 3D-printed metal parts could soon improve, thanks to new research out of Australia. Scientists there have determined that the application of ultrasound boosts the strength of such items, by modifying their microstructure.

Researchers from MIT have revealed the very first images of a human generated through a novel laser ultrasound imaging technique. Unlike conventional ultrasound, the new technique does not require any skin contact with the body.

A new type of ultrasound technology promises to make a touch-sensitive surface out of just about any common material – metal, glass, wood, plastic – which could open up a number of new ways to interact with our gadgets.

A new study from Northwestern University is demonstrating evidence a novel implantable ultrasound device allows a less toxic formulation of chemotherapy to cross the blood-brain barrier and destroy deadly tumors.

A safer and less invasive treatment option for prostate cancer could soon be on the table, with a novel MRI-guided ultrasound technique eliminating significant cancers in 80 percent of subjects in a year-long study.

Researchers have developed a device that assesses ear infections using ultrasound.

A team of researchers has developed a non-invasive tool which not only detects circulating tumor cells in the bloodstream, but can blast them away at the same time. Dubbed the Cytophone, it employs a laser which heats the CTCs, subsequently detecting them via ultrasound.

​We're increasingly seeing 3D-printed metal components being used in fields such as aviation, where failures could be catastrophic. It's therefore very important to check those items for structural flaws before they're installed, and the best way of doing so may involve freezing them in ice.

An incredible new study suggests that low-intensity ultrasound can be used to target very specific brain regions and alter an animal's decision-making processes. The technique, demonstrated in macaques monkeys, prompts actual behavioral changes using non-invasive ultrasound waves.

The pigment melanin is a natural defense against skin cancer – and now it could help fight other cancers too. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich and Helmholtz Zentrum München have found that melanin-loaded nanoparticles can help diagnose tumors and slow their growth.

A promising new study is documenting the long-term effects of a novel surgical procedure using ultrasound to reduce blood pressure in patients with hypertension. The one-off procedure, called renal denervation, is hoped to offer patients an alternative option to taking hypertension drugs.

Ultrasound technology might be about to get a whole lot more powerful. Researchers have developed an “ultra” ultrasound sensor that is so sensitive it can hear air molecules moving around or the vibrations of individual cells.