All Outputs (11)

Optoacoustic lenses for lateral sub-optical resolution elasticity imaging (2024)
Journal Article
Yao, M., Fuentes-Dominguez, R., La Cavera III, S., Perez-Cota, F., Smith, R. J., & Clark, M. (2025). Optoacoustic lenses for lateral sub-optical resolution elasticity imaging. Photoacoustics, 41, Article 100663. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pacs.2024.100663

In this paper, we demonstrate for the first time the focusing of gigahertz coherent phonon pulses propagating in water using picosecond ultrasonics and Brillouin light scattering. We achieve this by using planar Fresnel zone plate and concave lenses... Read More about Optoacoustic lenses for lateral sub-optical resolution elasticity imaging.

Label-free Brillouin endo-microscopy for the quantitative 3D imaging of sub-micrometre biology (2024)
Journal Article
La Cavera, S., Chauhan, V. M., Hardiman, W., Yao, M., Fuentes-Domínguez, R., Setchfield, K., Abayzeed, S. A., Pérez-Cota, F., Smith, R. J., & Clark, M. (2024). Label-free Brillouin endo-microscopy for the quantitative 3D imaging of sub-micrometre biology. Communications Biology, 7(1), Article 451. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-06126-4

This report presents an optical fibre-based endo-microscopic imaging tool that simultaneously measures the topographic profile and 3D viscoelastic properties of biological specimens through the phenomenon of time-resolved Brillouin scattering. This u... Read More about Label-free Brillouin endo-microscopy for the quantitative 3D imaging of sub-micrometre biology.

Classification of cancer cells at the sub-cellular level by phonon microscopy using deep learning (2023)
Journal Article
Pérez-Cota, F., Martínez-Arellano, G., La Cavera III, S., Hardiman, W., Thornton, L., Fuentes-Domínguez, R., Smith, R. J., McIntyre, A., & Clark, M. (2023). Classification of cancer cells at the sub-cellular level by phonon microscopy using deep learning. Scientific Reports, 13, Article 16228. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-42793-9

There is a consensus about the strong correlation between the elasticity of cells and tissue and their normal, dysplastic, and cancerous states. However, developments in cell mechanics have not seen significant progress in clinical applications. In t... Read More about Classification of cancer cells at the sub-cellular level by phonon microscopy using deep learning.

Living cells as a biological analog of optical tweezers – a non-invasive microrheology approach (2023)
Journal Article
Hardiman, W., Clark, M., Friel, C., Huett, A., Pérez-Cota, F., Setchfield, K., Wright, A. J., & Tassieri, M. (2023). Living cells as a biological analog of optical tweezers – a non-invasive microrheology approach. Acta Biomaterialia, 166, 317-325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2023.04.039

Microrheology, the study of fluids on micron length-scales, promises to reveal insights into cellular biology, including mechanical biomarkers of disease and the interplay between biomechanics and cellular function. Here a minimally-invasive passive... Read More about Living cells as a biological analog of optical tweezers – a non-invasive microrheology approach.

Phonon imaging in 3D with a fibre probe (2021)
Journal Article
La Cavera III, S., Pérez-Cota, F., Smith, R. J., & Clark, M. (2021). Phonon imaging in 3D with a fibre probe. Light: Science and Applications, 10, Article 91. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-021-00532-7

We show for the first time that a single ultrasonic imaging fibre is capable of simultaneously accessing 3D spatial information and mechanical properties from microscopic objects. The novel measurement system consists of two ultrafast lasers that exc... Read More about Phonon imaging in 3D with a fibre probe.

3D phonon microscopy with sub-micron axial-resolution (2021)
Journal Article
Smith, R. J., Perez-Cota, F., Marques, L., & Clark, M. (2021). 3D phonon microscopy with sub-micron axial-resolution. Scientific Reports, 11(1), Article 3301. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-82639-w

© 2021, The Author(s). Brillouin light scattering (BLS) is an emerging method for cell imaging and characterisation. It allows elasticity-related contrast, optical resolution and label-free operation. Phonon microscopy detects BLS from laser generate... Read More about 3D phonon microscopy with sub-micron axial-resolution.

Picosecond ultrasonics for elasticity-based imaging and characterization of biological cells (2020)
Journal Article
Pérez-Cota, F., Fuentes-Domínguez, R., La Cavera III, S., Hardiman, W., Yao, M., Setchfield, K., Moradi, E., Naznin, S., Wright, A., Webb, K. F., Huett, A., Friel, C., Sottile, V., Elsheikha, H. M., Smith, R. J., & Clark, M. (2020). Picosecond ultrasonics for elasticity-based imaging and characterization of biological cells. Journal of Applied Physics, 128(16), Article 160902. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0023744

© 2020 Author(s). Characterization of the elasticity of biological cells is growing as a new way to gain insight into cell biology. Cell mechanics are related to most aspects of cellular behavior, and applications in research and medicine are broad.... Read More about Picosecond ultrasonics for elasticity-based imaging and characterization of biological cells.

Time resolved Brillouin fiber-spectrometer (2019)
Journal Article
La Cavera, S., Pérez-Cota, F., Fuentes-Domínguez, R., Smith, R. J., & Clark, M. (2019). Time resolved Brillouin fiber-spectrometer. Optics Express, 27(18), 25064-25071. https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.27.025064

This report introduces a novel time resolved Brillouin spectrometer, consisting of an opto-acoustic transducer which resides on the tip of a single-mode optical fiber of arbitrary length with 125 µm outer diameter and 5 µm sensing diameter. Demonstra... Read More about Time resolved Brillouin fiber-spectrometer.

New insights into the mechanical properties of Acanthamoeba castellanii cysts as revealed by phonon microscopy (2019)
Journal Article
Pérez-Cota, F., Smith, R. J., Elsheikha, H. M., & Clark, M. (2019). New insights into the mechanical properties of Acanthamoeba castellanii cysts as revealed by phonon microscopy. Biomedical Optics Express, 10(5), 2399-2408. https://doi.org/10.1364/BOE.10.002399

The single cell eukaryotic protozoan Acanthamoeba castellanii exhibits a remarkable ability to switch from a vegetative trophozoite stage to a cystic form, in response to stressors. This phenotypic switch involves changes in gene expression and synth... Read More about New insights into the mechanical properties of Acanthamoeba castellanii cysts as revealed by phonon microscopy.

Cell imaging using sub-optical wavelength ultrasonics (2015)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Clark, M., Marques, L., Moradi, E., Perez-Cota, F., Smith, R. J., & Webb, K. F. (2015, November). Cell imaging using sub-optical wavelength ultrasonics. Presented at Asia Communications and Photonics Conference, ACPC 2015, Hong Kong

At GHz frequencies the wavelength of ultrasound becomes comparable or smaller than the wavelength of light and so offers an intriguing way to image at the small scale. In this paper we report on new developments in pico-second laser ultrasonics that... Read More about Cell imaging using sub-optical wavelength ultrasonics.

Sound of nano (2013)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Aylott, J., Clark, M., Marques, L., Perez-Cota, F., Smith, R. J., & Webb, K. F. Sound of nano. Presented at SPIE Micro+Nano Materials, Devices, and Applications, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Ultrasound is widely used for imaging, measurement and diagnostics in the MHz region and is perhaps most familiar as a medical or non-destructive imaging or measurement tool. In the MHz frequency range the wavelength is typically measured in microns... Read More about Sound of nano.