FUJIFILM VisualSonics Celebrates the First Installation of the Vevo F2 with Photoacoustics
FUJIFILM VisualSonics Inc., a world leader in ultra-high frequency ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging systems, and subsidiary of FUJIFILM SonoSite, Inc., recently celebrated the first installation of the new Vevo F2 imaging platform with photoacoustics at the Université de Tours, Tours, France, thanks to financial contributions from Région Centre Val de Loire and European Union. The Vevo F2 is the world’s first ultra-high to low (71-1 MHz) frequency ultrasound imaging system designed specifically with acoustic researchers and ultrasound engineers in mind.
Equipped with Vevo Advanced Data Acquisition (VADA), the Vevo F2 allows access to pre-beamformed individual channel data via an all new, easy-to-use, graphical user interface. With full control over transmit profiles, researchers now have the power and freedom to develop and explore new imaging methods in a quick, iterative fashion—going beyond existing imaging modes.
The Vevo F2 was launched and commercially available earlier this year (May 2020), building on a robust early adopter program of initial sites, globally situated. On November 17, 2020, FUJIFILM VisualSonics staff members were in attendance to witness the ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the first on-site installation of the Vevo F2 with photoacoustics at Université de Tours, Tours, France. The Ultrasound lab in Tours is especially interested in utilizing ultrafast Doppler and super-resolution with microbubbles for brain imaging in animal models. Using photoacoustics, their focus will be on molecular neuroimaging with biomarkers and functional neurobiology.
Cutting the Ribbon at Université de Tours, France
Left: Jean Michel Escoffre and Ayache Bouakaz. Right: Philippe Davault, Jean Michel Escoffre, Ayache Bouakaz, Philippe Trochet
“The main difficulty we face with current open research platforms is to be able to generate optimal B-mode images in-vivo in real time. Also, Matlab scripts are very difficult or impossible to modify so VADA or the Vevo Advanced Data Acquisition mode will be important for us as it is very easy to use. ” shared Ayache Bouakaz.
“The Vevo F2 fills a gap in the tools available to biomedical engineering and acoustic researchers. By providing an integrated and optimized high to low frequency system that leverages an easy to use interface for configuration, our customers can expand both their capabilities and efficiency. Vevo F2 users will also benefit from a worldwide service and support infrastructure,” stated Greg Nesbitt, vice president, global high frequency.
The target areas of research using the new Vevo F2 includes implementation of plane-wave techniques for ultrasound imaging for applications such as ultrafast Doppler, super-resolution ultrasound and beamforming algorithm development. The Vevo F2 also allows for synchronization with external devices to coordinate timing between HIFU pulses for imaging, or shear wave generation for elastography measurements.
“The Vevo F2 imaging system is the result of many years of hard work from our product development teams. Combining the best of both high and low frequency ultrasound into a single platform was not without technical challenges, however, our team was able to create a truly remarkable system. Not only does it provide such a large bandwidth, it has the flexibility and access to data required by the ultrasound research community, while still being extremely user-friendly. We look forward to seeing this new technology in the hands of more customers who we know will do amazing things with it,” shared Andrew Needles, director, marketing and product management.