reimagining the diagnosis and monitoring of Lung diseases through the unveiling of Ultrasound Mechanisms of Interaction with pulmonary tissue LUMI

Objective

In this project I will shed light on the physical mechanisms defining the interaction between ultrasound (US) waves and lung tissue. This knowledge gain will be instrumental for reinventing how we diagnose and monitor lung diseases and for developing a cost-effective, transportable, bedside available, real-time and safe solution. Lung diseases have a large impact worldwide. Pneumonia is the largest infectious cause of death in children. COVID-19, COPD and lower respiratory infections are the 2nd, 4th and 5th leading causes of death, causing over 14 million deaths per year. Computed tomography is today’s diagnostic gold standard, but is expensive, often inaccessible, bedside unavailable, and based on hazardous ionizing radiations. US could offer a solution. However, existing US diagnoses rely on qualitative and subjective interpretations of imaging patterns, exhibit poor specificity, and are performed with imaging modalities inadequate for the lung. My research aims at reconceiving the way US is applied to the lung and proposes innovative and quantitative methods with the potential to revolutionize the way we diagnose and monitor lung diseases. Healthy lungs behave like a perfect reflector to US and can be modelled as clusters of air bubbles (the alveoli) whose proximity, dimensions, and surrounding material vary in the presence of a disease, e.g., due to fluid extravasation or fibrosis. The spectral features of US echo-signals obtained from the lung depend on these variations. I propose their understanding as indicators for grading and differentiating lung pathologies. To this end, I will conduct numerical, in-vitro, and clinical studies. LUMI will generate new fundamental knowledge on the interaction between US and lung tissue and offer improved lung diagnostics. My strong international status in the field, combined with a unique match between the project requirements and my expertise, provide a solid basis for success.