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Thesis Info
- LABS ID
- *removed* 00826
- Thesis Title
- Review and development of techniques for studying cellular biophysics with high frequency ultrasound
- Author
- Michael A Butler
- E-mail
- m_a_butler AT hotmail.com
- 2nd Author
- 3rd Author
- Degree
- PhD
- Year
- 2016
- Number of Pages
- 221
- University
- University of the West of Scotland
- Thesis Supervisor
- Prof Katherine Kirk
- Supervisor e-mail
- Katherine.Kirk AT uws.ac.uk
- Other Supervisor(s)
- Dr David Hutson
- Language(s) of Thesis
- English
- Department / Discipline
- Thin Films, Sensors and Imaging/Bioacoustics
- Copyright Ownership
- CCA-NC-ND
- Languages Familiar to Author
- Multiple to basic level
- URL where full thesis can be found
- www.researchgate.net/publication/338896677_Review_and_development_of_techniques_for_studying_cellular_biophysics_with_high_frequency_ultrasound
- Keywords
- Biophysics, Ultrasound, Molecular bioacoustics, Interdisciplinary, Philosophy
- Abstract: 200-500 words
- This work presents a novel synthesis of multiple disciplines, from physical acoustics and chemistry to mechanobiology, to provide the first integrated review of concepts in ‘molecular bioacoustics’. This uniquely illustrates the value of understanding molecular dynamics from a mechano-oscillatory perspective.
The review includes a diverse discussion of what is not known to highlight gaps in knowledge. Practical steps to integrate and study these gaps are suggested, specifically to study the frequency and spatial response of cellular systems to high frequency ultrasound. In order to correspond with macromolecular dynamics this needs to focus on the GHz to THz range.
Thin films are widely used for broadband GHz and THz frequency applications; however, these applications typically do not require methods to shift the frequency across a wide bandwidth and are often designed to focus upon specific frequency bands of operation, e.g. for filters. The novelty of the experimental part of this work lies in the application of these well-tested techniques to design a system quantifying fine shifts in acoustic frequency that may be more relevant for biological systems. Although such a system has been technically possible for many years, until this project it had neither been proposed as relevant or put into practice.
This work presents robust off-resonance ultrasonic transducers that could be driven and sense at any frequency up to 140MHz and, with further improvements to the acquisition system, would allow control up to GHz. This includes testing new thin film production methods for bulk transducers based upon Al foil, salt (NaCl) and carbon steel substrates as well as initial work on SiO insulator layers. Future versions of this mid to high MHz system could provide a means to test larger biological systems that have a lower frequency response.