Innovative Applications in Ultrasound: Bioengineering and Micro/Nano Fabrication

Ultrasound technologies are undergoing rapid transformation through advances in bioengineering and micro/nano fabrication. These innovations are enabling a new generation of ultrasound methods with greater imaging speed, sensitivity, and spatial resolution. Techniques such as ultrasound imaging, Doppler ultrasound, elastography, ultrafast imaging, super-resolution ultrasound, and quantitative ultrasound are increasingly supported by engineered transducers, microfabricated sensors, contrast agents, biomaterials, and miniaturized systems. In parallel, bioengineered platforms and micro/nanoscale design strategies are expanding ultrasound applications in tissue characterization, vascular imaging, mechanobiology, and image-guided diagnosis. Beyond diagnostics, these advances are also supporting more practical and translational applications of ultrasound, including drug delivery systems, biosensors, regenerative medicine, and drug discovery research. These developments are helping bridge acoustics, device engineering, materials science, and biomedicine, opening new possibilities for precise, scalable, and translational ultrasound solutions. This Research Topic highlights how engineering at the micro- and nanoscale can drive the next wave of innovation in ultrasound-based diagnostics and biomedical applications. This Research Topic aims to gather cutting-edge contributions at the intersection of ultrasound, bioengineering, and micro/nano fabrication. It seeks to showcase how engineered materials, devices, and systems can enhance ultrasound approaches, including Doppler ultrasound, elastography, ultrafast imaging, super-resolution ultrasound, and quantitative ultrasound. The Topic welcomes studies that advance the design, fabrication, and integration of novel ultrasonic transducers, imaging platforms, micro/nanostructured components,contrast agents, and bioinspired systems for improved imaging performance and diagnostic utility. It also encourages contributions on practical and application-driven uses of ultrasound in areas such as targeted drug delivery, biosensing, regenerative medicine, and drug discovery. In addition, it welcomes work linking ultrasound physics with biomedical engineering applications, including tissue models, wearable or implantable devices, and miniaturized platforms for sensing and imaging. By bringing together interdisciplinary research, this collection aims to highlight emerging tools and concepts that expand the capabilities, translational relevance, and clinical impact of ultrasound technologies. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:• Bioengineered and micro/nanofabricated ultrasound transducers, sensors, probes, and imaging systems • Ultrasound imaging innovations enabled by microfabrication, nanomaterials, and advanced device engineering • Doppler ultrasound methods for flow sensing, microvascular imaging, and hemodynamic assessment • Elastography techniques supported by engineered platforms for tissue mechanics and biomechanical characterization • Ultrafast imaging approaches for dynamic biological processes and high-frame-rate functional imaging • Super-resolution ultrasound using engineered contrast agents, microbubbles, nanodroplets, or targeted platforms • Quantitative ultrasound for tissue characterization, biomarker development, and disease detection • Biofabricated phantoms, organ models, lab-on-chip systems, and translational diagnostic platforms for ultrasound research • Signal processing, beamforming, and integrated hardware-software solutions that improve sensitivity, resolution, and diagnostic performance • Ultrasound-enabled drug delivery systems, including targeted and stimuli-responsive therapeutic platforms • Ultrasound-based biosensors and sensing platforms for biomedical and diagnostic applications • Applications of ultrasound in regenerative medicine, including tissue engineering, cell stimulation, and repair processes • Ultrasound technologies and platforms supporting drug discovery research, screening, and therapeutic development Topic editors: Yuta Kurashina, Kazuki Tamura Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/80079/innovative-applications-in-ultrasound-bioengineering-and-micronano-fabrication