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[Awarded the Best Paper at SPIE Photonics West 2025 for advancements in photoacoustic endoscopy technology]

[Developed a novel imaging technology that overcomes the limitations of conventional medical endoscopes, demonstrating excellence in the field]

Recently, a research team led by Professor Chulhong Kim from the Department of Electrical Engineering, Department of Convergence IT Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, and the Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology at POSTECH won the Tomowave Best Paper Award at ‘SPIE Photonics West 2025,’ the world’s largest conference on optics and photonics.

Professor Chulhong Kim’s research team (Dr. Jaewoo Kim and Dr. Dasom Heo) received this prestigious award for their joint research with Professor Hee Man Kim’s team at Yonsei University Severance Hospital on the development of ‘Endoscopic ultrasound and photoacoustics (ePAUS)’ technology.

In particular, the research team’s miniature transparent ultrasound transducer (TUT) achieved a high frequency of 21 MHz and a wide bandwidth of 62%, effectively addressing both the miniaturization challenges and signal quality issues of conventional endoscopic ultrasound equipment.

Dr. Jaewoo Kim, the lead researcher, stated, “We will proceed with clinical trials and advance medical imaging by integrating various imaging technologies, including OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) and NIRS (Near-Infrared Spectroscopy).” Professor Chulhong Kim also shared his thoughts on the award, saying, “This recognition highlights the international acknowledgment of POSTECH's pioneering contributions to medical imaging technologies.”

Meanwhile, SPIE Photonics West is the world’s largest optics and photonics conference, held annually in San Francisco, USA. It serves as a premier gathering for leading medical imaging researchers from around the world to share the latest advancements in the field. This year’s conference took place on the 30th of last month.