Soft Metalens for Broadband Ultrasonic Focusing through Aberration Layers
Abstract Aberration layers (AL) often present significant energy transmission barriers in microwave engineering, electromagnetic waves, and medical ultrasound. However, achieving broadband ultrasonic focusing through aberration layers like the human skull using conventional materials such as metals...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55022-2 |
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| _version_ | 1841559290474659840 |
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| author | Erqian Dong Tianye Zhang Jinhu Zhang Xiaochun Su Sichao Qu Xin Ye Zhanyuan Gao Chengtian Gao Jiangang Hui Zhanxiang Wang Nicholas X. Fang Yu Zhang |
| author_facet | Erqian Dong Tianye Zhang Jinhu Zhang Xiaochun Su Sichao Qu Xin Ye Zhanyuan Gao Chengtian Gao Jiangang Hui Zhanxiang Wang Nicholas X. Fang Yu Zhang |
| author_sort | Erqian Dong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Aberration layers (AL) often present significant energy transmission barriers in microwave engineering, electromagnetic waves, and medical ultrasound. However, achieving broadband ultrasonic focusing through aberration layers like the human skull using conventional materials such as metals and elastomers has proven challenging. In this study, we introduce an inverse phase encoding method employing tunable soft metalens to penetrate heterogeneous aberration layers. Through the application of effective-medium theory, we determined the refractive index of micro-tungsten particles in silicone elastomer, closely aligning with experimental findings. The soft metalens allows for transmission across broadband frequencies (50 kHz to 0.4 MHz) through 3D-printed human skull models mimicking aberration layers. In ex vivo transcranial ultrasound tests, we observed a 9.3 dB intensity enhancement at the focal point compared to results obtained using an unfocused transducer. By integrating soft materials, metamaterials, and gradient refractive index, the soft metalens presents future opportunities for advancing next-generation soft devices in deep-brain stimulation, non-destructive evaluation, and high-resolution ultrasound imaging. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-783b5113329941d78a82550ed32f9bf7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-783b5113329941d78a82550ed32f9bf72025-01-05T12:38:06ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-01-0116111310.1038/s41467-024-55022-2Soft Metalens for Broadband Ultrasonic Focusing through Aberration LayersErqian Dong0Tianye Zhang1Jinhu Zhang2Xiaochun Su3Sichao Qu4Xin Ye5Zhanyuan Gao6Chengtian Gao7Jiangang Hui8Zhanxiang Wang9Nicholas X. Fang10Yu Zhang11Key Laboratory of Underwater Acoustic Communication and Marine Information Technology of the Ministry of Education, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen UniversityKey Laboratory of Underwater Acoustic Communication and Marine Information Technology of the Ministry of Education, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen UniversityKey Laboratory of Underwater Acoustic Communication and Marine Information Technology of the Ministry of Education, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen UniversityKey Laboratory of Underwater Acoustic Communication and Marine Information Technology of the Ministry of Education, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen UniversityDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hong KongKey Laboratory of Underwater Acoustic Communication and Marine Information Technology of the Ministry of Education, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen UniversityKey Laboratory of Underwater Acoustic Communication and Marine Information Technology of the Ministry of Education, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen UniversityDepartment of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen UniversityKey Laboratory of Underwater Acoustic Communication and Marine Information Technology of the Ministry of Education, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen UniversityDepartment of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen UniversityDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hong KongKey Laboratory of Underwater Acoustic Communication and Marine Information Technology of the Ministry of Education, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen UniversityAbstract Aberration layers (AL) often present significant energy transmission barriers in microwave engineering, electromagnetic waves, and medical ultrasound. However, achieving broadband ultrasonic focusing through aberration layers like the human skull using conventional materials such as metals and elastomers has proven challenging. In this study, we introduce an inverse phase encoding method employing tunable soft metalens to penetrate heterogeneous aberration layers. Through the application of effective-medium theory, we determined the refractive index of micro-tungsten particles in silicone elastomer, closely aligning with experimental findings. The soft metalens allows for transmission across broadband frequencies (50 kHz to 0.4 MHz) through 3D-printed human skull models mimicking aberration layers. In ex vivo transcranial ultrasound tests, we observed a 9.3 dB intensity enhancement at the focal point compared to results obtained using an unfocused transducer. By integrating soft materials, metamaterials, and gradient refractive index, the soft metalens presents future opportunities for advancing next-generation soft devices in deep-brain stimulation, non-destructive evaluation, and high-resolution ultrasound imaging.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55022-2 |
| spellingShingle | Erqian Dong Tianye Zhang Jinhu Zhang Xiaochun Su Sichao Qu Xin Ye Zhanyuan Gao Chengtian Gao Jiangang Hui Zhanxiang Wang Nicholas X. Fang Yu Zhang Soft Metalens for Broadband Ultrasonic Focusing through Aberration Layers Nature Communications |
| title | Soft Metalens for Broadband Ultrasonic Focusing through Aberration Layers |
| title_full | Soft Metalens for Broadband Ultrasonic Focusing through Aberration Layers |
| title_fullStr | Soft Metalens for Broadband Ultrasonic Focusing through Aberration Layers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Soft Metalens for Broadband Ultrasonic Focusing through Aberration Layers |
| title_short | Soft Metalens for Broadband Ultrasonic Focusing through Aberration Layers |
| title_sort | soft metalens for broadband ultrasonic focusing through aberration layers |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55022-2 |
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