A thermoacoustic imaging system and method for monitoring tissue temperature within a region of interest, which has an object of interest and a reference that are separated by at least one boundary. The system and method include a thermoacoustic imaging system with an adjustable radio frequency (RF) applicator configured to emit RF energy pulses into the tissue region of interest and heat tissue therein, an acoustic receiver configured to receive bipolar acoustic signals generated in response to heating of tissue in the region of interest, and one or more processors that process at least one received bipolar acoustic signal generated in the region of interest in response to the RF energy pulses to determine a peak-to-peak amplitude thereof and calculate a temperature at the at least one boundary using the peak-to-peak amplitude of the at least one bipolar acoustic signal.

A biosensing device for continuous monitoring of an analyte in a fluid matrix includes an electromagnetic excitation element [402], a biosensing surface [406], an opposing surface [410], a separation component [420,422], light collection optics [412], a light sensor [414], an image recording and analysis system [416], and an excitation control system [400]. The separation component is connected to the biosensing surface and to the opposing surface, forming a concave gap region [408] between the biosensing surface and the opposing surface. The biosensing surface comprises biosensing particles sensitive to electromagnetic signals from the electro-magnetic excitation element, where an optical response of the biosensing particles to the electromagnetic signals is adapted to change in the presence of an analyte in the gap region. The light collection optics couple light emitted from the biosensing particles on the biosensing surface to the light sensor. The image recording and analysis system is connected to the light sensor and processes light signals from the biosensing particles to determine presence or absence or concentration of the analyte in the fluid matrix.

A method and system for optimizing RF energy delivery to a tissue ROI with a thermoacoustic system includes directing with a RF applicator, RF energy pulses into the tissue ROI having an object of interest and a reference separated by a boundary; detecting with a thermoacoustic transducer, a multi-polar thermoacoustic signal generated at the boundary in response to the RF energy pulses and processing the multi-polar acoustic signal to determine a peak-to-peak amplitude; detecting with the thermoacoustic transducer, an artifact multi-polar thermoacoustic signal generated at a location other than the boundary and processing it to determine a peak-to-peak amplitude; utilizing an electromagnetic model coupled with a model of patient anatomy to place dielectric or conducting materials near the thermoacoustic transducer or the RF applicator to optimize a signal-to-noise ratio of the multi-polar thermoacoustic signal generated at the boundary or minimize the artifact multi-polar thermoacoustic signal generated at a location other than the boundary; and directing with the RF applicator, RF energy pulses into the ROI for a thermoacoustic measurement and determine a parameter of the object of interest.

Cancer treatment and imaging methods using thermotherapy and drug delivery are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of administering a plurality of antibody or aptamer-conjugated nanoparticles, liposomes, and/or micelles containing a medication and/or gene to a patient in need thereof so as to target a tumor in the patient, at least some of the antibody or aptamer-conjugated nanoparticles, liposomes, and/or micelles attaching to surface antigens of tumor cells of the tumor so as to form a tumor cell/nanoparticle/liposome/micelle complex; and heating the antibody or aptamer-conjugated nanoparticles, liposomes, and/or micelles using an energy source so as to raise the temperature of the tumor cell/nanoparticle complex, micelle complex, and/or liposome complex, thereby releasing one or more medications from the antibody or aptamer-conjugated nanoparticles, liposomes, and/or micelles, and damaging one or more tumor cell membranes at the tumor site.

A thermoacoustic system and method of use to receive an ultrasound system output from an ultrasound system, via an existing communication port on the ultrasound system. The thermoacoustic system includes a radio-frequency emitter, at least one thermoacoustic transducer, a processor, and a display that is integrated with the processor and configured to display an image that is a function of the ultrasound system output and data from the at least one thermoacoustic transducer. The thermoacoustic system is configured to perform an action, as a result of receiving the ultrasound system output.

The present disclosure provides a system with an innovative electrode designed as an RF/microwave antenna as well as methods to monitor/assess biological tissue and perform surgical procedures.

A sensor device is described herein. The sensor device includes a multi-dimensional optical sensor and processing circuitry, wherein the multi-dimensional optical sensor generates images and the processing circuitry is configured to output data that is indicative of hemodynamics of a user based upon the images. The sensor device is non-invasive, and is able to be incorporated into wearable devices, thereby allowing for continuous output of the data that is indicative of the hemodynamics of the user.

A method for determining a material type of an object of interest comprises: directing, using a radio frequency (RF) source, RF energy into a region of interest, the region of interest comprising the object of interest, a known reference and a boundary between the object of interest and the known reference; detecting, using an acoustic receiver, at least one thermoacoustic multi-polar signal generated in response to the RF energy; correlating, by one or more processors, the at least one thermoacoustic multi-polar signal to a transmitted power correction factor to generate a corrected thermoacoustic multi-polar signal; and determining, by the one or more processors, the material type of the object of interest as a function of the corrected thermoacoustic multi-polar signal and a transmitted power of the RF energy.

A co/counter propagating acousto-optic modulator is provided that creates a low-intensity focused ultrasound (FUS) wave on a laser beam in a medium such as water without any auxiliary mediators or special software/hardware. The main optical effect of the FUS is the controllable focusing of the laser beam through modification of the refractive index of the medium in a time-stable and dynamic fashion. The laser beam and the FUS wave are coaxially mixed and propagated through each other. The FUS pressure field highly amplifies the power density, highly amplifies the intensity, sharpens the diameter, and reduces the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the laser beam. The FUS pressure field keeps the laser beam's lensing power positive, with small fluctuations, as long as the ultrasound wave is coaxially propagated with the laser beam.

A thermoacoustic probe with an electromagnetic (EM) energy applicator, a thermoacoustic transducer, and a housing containing the applicator and thermoacoustic transducer and enabling an EM exit window and a transducer front face to be held flush with respect to each other. A first acoustic absorbing material is placed between the EM applicator and the transducer, between the EM applicator and the housing, and between the transducer and the housing as spacers; and a second acoustic absorbing material is injected between the EM applicator and the transducer, between the EM applicator and the housing, and between the transducer and the housing in the spaced gaps, wherein the first acoustic absorbing material and the second acoustic absorbing material are combined to form a sleeve covering the applicator sides and the transducer sides. The acoustic absorbing materials mitigate sound artifacts and noise resulting in cleaner signal data. In a preferred embodiment the applicator is a radio-frequency applicator, the transducer is a piezoelectric transducer, and the probe is utilizable for tissue imaging.