[Transparent ultrasound–based optical–ultrasound fusion imaging technology recognized for its clinical translation potential]
Professor Chulhong Kim’s research team at POSTECH, together with Dr. Jeongwoo Park (now Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Convergence Science & Technology at Kyungpook National University), received the Best Paper Award at SPIE Photonics West 2026, the world’s largest optics and photonics conference, held on January 21 in San Francisco, USA. This prestigious award is presented to only three teams worldwide each year.
The award recognizes the results of a collaborative study conducted by Professor Kim’s team at POSTECH and Professor Yujin Myung’s team in the Department of Plastic Surgery at Seoul National University Hospital. The joint team was highly commended for developing an optical–ultrasound fusion imaging technology based on a transparent ultrasound transducer array (TUT-array).
The technology developed by the team integrates ultrasound imaging, photoacoustic imaging, and fluorescence imaging into a single compact probe. This enables clinicians in real surgical settings to obtain diverse imaging information simultaneously and in real time, without the need to switch between multiple devices. The system has been recognized as a practically deployable image-guided platform for immediate use in clinical environments.
The research was published in the international journal Nature Communications, and based on its academic and technological impact, it was selected for the Best Paper Award at the “Photonics Plus Ultrasound: Imaging and Sensing” conference within SPIE Photonics West 2026.
The study was co–first-authored by Dr. Jeongwoo Park (Department of Electrical Engineering at POSTECH, now Assistant Professor at Kyungpook National University), Dr. Donghyeon Oh, and Dr. Jinhee Yoo. Dr. Park said, “This work goes beyond a laboratory-level technology proposal and demonstrates a real-time imaging system that can be applied directly in actual clinical settings, which makes it especially meaningful,” adding, “It is deeply gratifying that both the technical maturity and clinical practicality of our system have been recognized at the world’s largest optics conference.” He continued, “We plan to further extend this technology toward precision surgical image guidance and next-generation optical–ultrasound fusion medical imaging.”
Meanwhile, SPIE Photonics West is the world’s largest conference in optics and photonics, organized by SPIE (The International Society for Optics and Photonics). The “Photonics Plus Ultrasound: Imaging and Sensing” conference, at which the team received the award, is regarded as a key venue focusing on fusion technologies that combine optics and ultrasound.