News: Optoelectronics
27 January 2025
TRUMPF and iThera demo VCSEL-based subsystem for optoacoustic medical imaging and sensing
TRUMPF Photonic Components GmbH of Ulm, Germany (part of the TRUMPF Group) — which makes vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) and photodiodes for consumer electronics, datacom, industrial sensing and heating markets — and iThera Medical GmbH of Munich, Germany — a spin-off of the Helmholtz Center Munich that provides optoacoustic imaging (OAI) diagnostics for preclinical and clinical research — are introducing a solution for optoacoustic imaging for clinical applications. The VCSEL-based subsystem can replace existing photonic systems for routine clinical use, starting with soft-tissue perfusion and oxygenation measurements, applicable to a wide range of diseases.
Picture: VCSEL-based optoacoustic probe (© iThera Medical GmbH).
“The power-efficient and compact photonic solution of TRUMPF and iThera is scalable and paves the way towards future patch and sensor optoacoustic applications. The VCSEL technology, with its benefits like precision, compact structure, energy efficiency and wide range of wavelengths, is perfect for this application,” says Alexander Weigl, head of product management at TRUMPF Photonic Components. “We view the medical technology and life-sciences sector as a growth area for numerous VCSEL wavelengths and applications,” he adds.
“Using VCSELs will allow us to cut light-source-related costs, volume and power consumption of our market-leading optoacoustic imaging devices by a factor of 100,” says iThera Medical’s chief technology officer Patrick Leisching. “Additionally, compared with the currently used tunable solid-state lasers, the VCSEL subsystem results in a downgrade of the laser safety classification from its current Class 4 to Class 1, eliminating the need for special safety measures, and it will provide a substantially improved operating stability,” he adds. “These game-changing improvements will facilitate the translation of our technology from research into routine diagnostic use and also enable future sensing applications, making optoacoustic technology widely accessible across different care settings.”
The photonic subsystem presented is based on a compact set-up of high-power VCSEL arrays and bare ToF CMOS driver chips. The heat dissipation can be buffered in a small copper block, so the subsystem can be directly mounted within a medical handheld device with no active cooling.
TRUMPF is exhibiting in booth 833at SPIE Photonics West 2025 in San Francisco, CA, USA (28–30 January).
