Sensors group

SENSORS GROUP

Research focus

The sensors group is focused on the conception, design and development of medical sensing technology meant to outperform established methods in terms of resolution, contrast, speed, or quantification accuracy among other factors. These tools are in most cases intented to quantify biologically and medically relevant features that were not possible to be monitored before. We pursue collaborations with clinical partners in order to transfer our devices from the lab to the clinic. We aim to make real improvements in the clinical routine of major conditions, like cancer, cardiovascular, metabolic or dermatological diseases. Our areas of expertise are optical and optoacoustic sensors. However, we are a “technologically agnostic” group. Some of our technical developments have been patented and licensed.

Openings

18/07/2023: PhD. Thesis. "Development of optoacoustic and/or optical medical sensors"

11/02/2022: Master/Bachelor Thesis. "Development of an optical cardiac sensor and research in strategies for its miniaturization"

11/02/2022: Master/Bachelor Thesis. "Development of an optoacoustic sensor/imaging simulator"

If you are interested in joining the Sensors Group at MEDICUAM as a PhD. Student or Postdoc contact us at: juan.aguirre@uam.es

Lead scientist

The sensors group is lead by Dr. Juan Aguirre Bueno. Juan studied physics and applied mathematics in Spain. After completing his PhD in biomedical imaging in Madrid (Biomedical Imaging and Instrumentation Group, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañon) he worked as a researcher in medical imaging/sensing labs in Barcelona (ICFO), Crete (Greece, FORTH), and the University of Pennsylvania, USA (LRSM). In 2013 he received a Marie Curie grant to join the Institute of Biological and Medical Imaging (IBMI) at the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Chair of Biological Imaging at the Technical University of Munich. He has been the group leader of the optoacoustic mesoscopy group in IBMI from February 2014 until November 2021. In December 2021 he joined the Medical Engineering Development & Innovation Center as Principal Investigator and Head of the Sensors Division. Some of his technical developments have been patented, licensed, and are distributed internationally among clinical research centers being on the path of clinical adoption.

Awards

2021: 1^st Position Ramon y Cajal Fellowship. (Photonics subfield)

2021: German Psoriais Price 2021. German Society of Dermatology. DFG.

2016: Outstanding Researcher Award, IBMI. Helmholtz Zentrum Munich.

2015: Inventor Bonus. Helmholtz Zentrum Munich.

2013: Marie Curie Individual Postdoc Grant.

2006: Marie Curie Predoctoral Grant.

Publications (selection)

Ludwig Englert, María Lacalle-Aurioles, Nguyen-Vi Mohamed, Paula Lépine, Meghna Mathur, Vasilis Ntziachristos, Thomas M. Durcan*, Juan Aguirre*. “Fast 3D Optoacoustic Mesoscopy of Neuromelanin Through Entire Human Midbrain Organoids at Single-Cell Resolution”. Laser & Photonics Reviews. 2023. *Corresponding author. doi:10.1002/lpor.202300443.

T Nau, C Schönmann, B Hindelang, L Riobo, A Doll, S Schneider, L Englert, H He, T Biedermann, U Darsow, F Lauffer, V Ntziachristos*, J Aguirre*. “Raster-scanning Optoacoustic Mesoscopy Biomarkers for Atopic Dermatitis Skin Lesions”. Photoacoustics. 2023. *Corresponding author. doi:10.1016/j.pacs.2023.100513.

Benedikt Hindelang, Teresa Nau, Ludwig Englert, Andrei Berezhnoi, Felix Lauffer, Ulf Darsow, Tilo Biedermann, Kilian Eyerich, Juan Aguirre*, Vasilis Ntziachristos*. “Enabling Precision Monitoring of Psoriasis Treatment by Optoacoustic Mesoscopy”. Science Translational Medicine. 2022. *Corresponding author. doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.abm8059.

Karlas A*, Pleitez M*, Aguirre J*, Ntziachristos V*. “Optoacoustic imaging in endocrinology and metabolism.” Nature Reviews Endocrinology. 2021. *All authors contributed equally to this paper. doi:10.1038/s41574-021-00482-5.

Aguirre J, Berezhnoi A, He H, Schwarz M, Hindelang B, Omar M, Darsow U, Ntziachristos V. “Motion quantification and automated correction in clinical RSOM.” IEEE. Transactions on Medical Imaging. 2019. doi:10.1109/TMI.2018.2883154.

Hindelang B*, Aguirre J*, Schwarz M, Berezhnoi A, Eyerich K, Ntziachristos V, Biedermann T, Darsow U. “Non‐invasive imaging in dermatology and the unique potential of Raster‐Scan Optoacoustic Mesoscopy (RSOM)”. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. 2019. *Corresponding author. doi:10.1111/jdv.15342.

Omar M*, Aguirre J *, Ntziachristos V*. "Optoacoustic mesoscopy for biomedicine." Nature Biomedical Enginering. *All authors contributed to this paper. doi:10.1038/s41551-019-0377-4.

Aguirre J, Hindelang B, Berezhnoi A, Darsow U, Lauffer F, Eyerich K, Biedermann B, Ntziachristos V. "Assessing nailfold microvascular structure with ultra-wideband raster-scan optoacoustic mesoscopy". Photoacoustics. 2018. doi:10.1016/j.pacs.2018.02.002.

Aguirre J, Schwarz M, Garzorz N, Omar M, Buehler A, Eyerich K, Ntziachristos V. "Precision assessment of label-free psoriasis biomarkers with ultra-broadband optoacoustic mesoscopy". Nature Biomedical Engineering. doi:10.1038/s41551-017-0068.

Aguirre J *, Schwarz M, Soliman D, Bühler A, Omar M, Ntziachristos V. "Broadband mesoscopic optoacoustic tomography reveals skin layers." Optics Letters. 2014. *Corresponding author. doi:10.1364/OL.39.006297.

Aguirre J *, Giannoula A, Minagawa T, Turon P, Durduran T. “A low memory cost model based reconstruction algorithm exploiting translational symmetry for photoacoustic microscopy.” Biomedical Optics Express. 2013. * Corresponding author. doi:10.1364/BOE.4.002813.

Google Scholar here.

Collaborators

Institute of Biological and Medical Imaging.

https://www.helmholtz-munich.de/ibmi/index.html

Ithera Medical

https://www.ithera-medical.com/