Fig. 1: The design of BioUCT for ultrasound contrast imaging.
From: Biodegradable ultrasound contrast tape for tracing intestinal motility
a Schematic diagram of the soft BioUCT implanted on the intestine. b Ultrasound contrast imaging of the BioUCT on the small intestine. c Limited imaging time of injected contrast agent (SonoVue, Bracco). d Decreasing brightness of injected contrast agents in 8 min. e Stable imaging of BioUCT. f Constant brightness of BioUCT in 8 min. g Structures of the BioUCT. The inset microscopic image shows the zoomed-in view of periodic air cells sealed in the tough hydrogel. The scale bar is 1 mm. h Structures of the BioUCT, including air cells sealed in the tough hydrogel and bioadhesive hydrogels at the bottom layer. i Cross-linking networks of tough hydrogels and bioadhesive hydrogels. j Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image of the cross-section of the BioUCT. The scale bar is 20 μm. k Strong ultrasound reflection of BioUCT compared to soft tissue. l Comparison of Young’s modulus and simulated ultrasound reflectance at 4 MHz of soft tissues, traditional materials, and the BioUCT. m Softness of the BioUCT in deformation. The scale bar is 10 mm.
