Final Report Summary - MOPHIM (Molecular photoacoustic imaging during ultrasound-guided interventions)
The European Research Council Starting Grant MOPHIM was centred on the development of interventional photoacoustic imaging for guiding minimally invasive clinical procedures. With this technology platform, ultrasound is generated using pulsed light via the photoacoustic effect, and pulsed light is delivered into tissue via optical fibres integrated into medical devices. With MOPHIM, interventional photoacoustic imaging was validated on the benchtop and in in-vivo pre-clinical models. Many innovations emerged from MOPHIM, and they have led to new research directions, such as all-optical ultrasound imaging using nanocomposite coatings applied to the distal ends of optical fibres to generate ultrasound for pulse-echo ultrasound imaging. The ERC Starting Grant MOPHIM led to the creation of the Interventional Devices Group at the University College London, with Dr. Adrien Desjardins as the PI. This group has established a highly collaborative approach to translational research with scientific, engineering, and clinical foci.