Broadband ultrasound generator over fiber-optic tip for in vivo emotional stress modulation
Jiapu Li, Xinghua Liu, Zhuohua Xiao, Shengjiang Yang, Zhanfei Li, Xin Gui, Meng Shen, He Jiang, Xuelei Fu, Yiming Wang, Song Gong, Tuan Guo, Zhengying Li
Opto-Electronic Science 2025 · 10.29026/oes.2025.240034
rodentanxietybehaviourcellular imaginghistology molecular
Speciesmouse (C57BL/6J; CD1)
Subjectsnot reported animals
Sessions per subjectnot reported
Randomisednot reported
Blindingnot reported
Sham / controlinactive transducer
Auditory controlnot reported
Readout timingboth
Anaesthesiaawake
Readoutsbehaviour, cellular imaging, histology molecular — open field test; three-chamber social test; GCaMP6s fiber photometry; c-fos TetTag mCherry labelling
Direction of effectexcitatoryPhotoacoustic stimulation activated mPFC neurons (mCherry labelling, calcium transients rising with 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 MPa) and, applied after acute social defeat stress, increased open-field centre time and social engagement in the first three-chamber session versus sham.
Adverse eventsnot reported
Exposures
Exposure 1: Fiber-optic photoacoustic emitter in mPFC
Target: ventromedial prefrontal cortex — “medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)”
Device: custom-built · Ti3C2Tx/PDMS fiber-optic photoacoustic emitter (FPE), 200 um, excited by Lapa-20 pulse laser
| Waveform | other patterned | |
|---|---|---|
| Fundamental frequency (kHz) | 4,000 | ✓✓✓⚑ |
| Pulse duration (ms) | not reported | ⚑ |
| Pulse repetition frequency (Hz) | 20 | ✓✓✓⚑ |
| Duty cycle (%) | not reported | |
| Sonication duration (s) | 3,600 | ✓✓✓⚑ |
| Free-field pressure (kPa) | not reported | |
|---|---|---|
| Free-field Isppa (W/cm²) | not reported | |
| Free-field Ispta (W/cm²) | not reported | |
| In-situ estimate | not reported | |
| In-situ pressure (kPa) | not reported | |
| In-situ Isppa (W/cm²) | not reported | |
| In-situ Ispta (W/cm²) | not reported | |
| Pressure, domain unspecified (kPa) | 400, 600, 800swept | ✓✓✓⚑ |
Protocol, in the paper’s words
Ultrasound is generated at the fibre tip by a 1064 nm pulse laser (10 ns pulse width, 0-10 mJ/pulse, 20 Hz repetition rate); the paper gives 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 MPa photoacoustic levels, with 1 hour of stimulation at 0.8 MPa in the behavioural experiment.
Flags from extraction
exposures[0].fundamental_frequency_khz— 4 MHz is the centre frequency of the bench-characterised FPE output at 10 mJ/cm2 (peak-to-peak 0.7 MPa); the frequency used in vivo is not restated.exposures[0].unspecified_domain.pressure_kpa— Peak levels 0.4-0.8 MPa given for in vivo stimulation without saying whether water-measured, peak or peak-to-peak.exposures[0].timing.pulse_repetition_frequency_hz— 20 Hz is the laser pulse repetition rate listed in the fabrication section; stimulation PRF in vivo not otherwise stated.exposures[0].timing.sonication_duration_s— Text says 1 hour of photoacoustic stimulation at 0.8 MPa; whether continuous trains for 1 h is not stated.exposures[0].timing.waveform— Photoacoustic broadband transient from a 10 ns laser pulse, not a sustained carrier; may fail inclusion condition B (ultrasound as a sustained waveform at a carrier frequency).n_subjects— Only n = 4 mice for the photometry heatmap is stated; behaviour group size is not given.exposures[0].target.terms— mPFC mapped to ventromedial_prefrontal_cortex per the synonym list (medial prefrontal, mPFC).exposures[0].timing.pulse_duration_ms— Only the 10 ns laser pulse width is given, which is not the acoustic pulse duration.