TU Delft Brazil collaboration on ultrasound imaging
TU Delft researcher Dr. Martin Verweij and USP researcher Dr. Theo Pavan were awarded the SPRINT grant to explore potential collaboration in the field of ultrasound imaging.
In October 2023, Dr. Martin Verweij, a professor from the Department of Imaging Physics at TU Delft, and Djalma dos Santos, his PhD student, participated in a collaborative exchange facilitated by the São Paulo Researchers in International Collaboration (SPRINT) program. Their destination was the University of Sao Paulo – USP (Campus Ribeirao Preto), where they spent four days. They were hosted by Dr. Theo Pavan, a professor at USP.
The visit began with an extensive tour of the campus, acquainting themselves with the laboratories and facilities within the Innovation Group in Medical Instrumentation and Ultrasound (GIIMUS). The first day included demonstrations by PhD students from USP, who provided valuable insights into the advancements in photoacoustic and magnetomotive ultrasound technologies within their group. Lastly, Dr. Theo Pavan and Dr. Adilton Carneiro, principal investigators at GIIMUS, delivered an in-depth presentation, shedding light on the diverse research areas in which they are involved.
On the second day of their visit, Dr. Martin Verweij delivered an engaging lecture on harmonic imaging and the fundamental principles of simulating nonlinear ultrasound to a group of graduate students. The session sparked interactive discussions as the students actively engaged with Dr. Verweij and demonstrated a keen interest and enthusiasm for the topic.
On the third day, they explored a technology park known as Supera Parque de Inovação e Tecnologia de Ribeirão Preto, a vibrant hub that serves as an incubator and accelerator for nearly a hundred tech startups. Their visit included a tour of a unique laboratory, the sole facility in South America accredited to evaluate a range of medical devices, ensuring compliance with both national and international standards. Additionally, they had the opportunity to visit GPhantom, a specialized startup focusing on producing ultrasound phantoms to facilitate interaction with medical equipment. Following these visits, Dr. Martin Verweij presented the ongoing research projects at TU Delft, succeeded by Djalma, who discussed his PhD work focusing on the development of dedicated ultrasound probes for medical applications.
On the fourth day, a workshop about ultrasound imaging was held for both undergraduate and graduate students. Djalma actively participated in the session, offering practical, hands-on training utilizing the Verasonics research ultrasound system that had been recently acquired by GIIMUS.
In November 2023, Dr. Theo Pavan and his PhD student, José Freire, embarked on a two-day trip to the Netherlands. On the first day, they visited the TU Delft campus and explored the ultrasound laboratories at both the Faculty of Applied Sciences and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, and Computer Science. After the tours, Dr. Theo delivered an insightful presentation on tissue-mimicking phantoms and photoacoustic imaging, which received positive feedback from a diverse audience, including PhD students and principal investigators.
On the last day of their trip, they toured the facilities of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam. Following the tour, Dr. Theo Pavan delivered a captivating talk on magnetomotive ultrasound imaging, which led to lively discussions on the topic with principal investigators and PhD students.
The follow-up actions may involve fostering interactions between the groups, facilitating exchange opportunities, and exploring potential collaborations for future grant proposals in the field of ultrasound imaging. This could include initiatives such as developing specialized ultrasound phantoms, certifying medical equipment, and exploring novel drug delivery methods.
