Abstract: Provided are various embodiments relating to anti-IL17A antibodies and IL17Ra ECD polypeptides that bind to IL17A. In various embodiments, such anti-IL17A antibodies or IL17Ra ECD polypeptides can be used in methods to treat IL17-induced conditions in subjects, such as humans or companion animals, such as canines, felines, and equines. Also provided are various embodiments relating to IgG Fc variant polypeptides having one or more amino acid substitutions for reducing binding to C1q and/or CD16. In some embodiments, the IgG Fc variants and/or polypeptides comprising the IgG Fc variants (e.g., fusion polypeptides comprising the IgG Fc variants and the anti-IL17A antibodies and/or IL17Ra ECD polypeptides described herein) may have reduced complement-mediated immune responses and/or antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity.

Abstract: The optical fiber with an acoustically sensitive fiber Bragg grating includes an optical fiber core with a pair of fiber Bragg gratings formed therein, such that each of the fiber Bragg gratings is spaced apart from the other. A cladding material is disposed on and surrounds at least a portion of the optical fiber core. The cladding material has at least one material property associated therewith, where the at least one material property may be a smaller Young's modulus than a Young's modulus of the optical fiber core, a larger photo-elastic coefficient than a photo-elastic coefficient of the optical fiber core, or combinations thereof. An ultrasound sensor includes at least one of the optical fibers embedded in a polymer layer, along with a backing layer and an acoustic matching layer.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and devices for ablation, where an ablation system includes an ablation probe, an optical fiber extending along at least a portion of the ablation probe; a plurality of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors disposed along the optical fiber and configured to generate temperature-related data; a fiber-end sensor disposed at a distal portion of the optical fiber and configured to sense acoustic signals; and one or more processors configured to: determine a temperature profile along the ablation probe based on the temperature-related data from the plurality of FBG sensors, and control at least one of positioning or operation of the fiber-end sensor based on the temperature profile.

Abstract: Systems and methods for tracking a medical device and ultrasound imaging with an optical sensor in a medical procedure are provided as described. A processor receives sensor data from a sensor coupled to the medical device. The sensor receives one or more acoustic signals in the body region and converts the acoustic signals to the sensor data. The processor determines a set of time-of-flight (ToF) data associated with the sensor based on the sensor data. The processor determines a location of the sensor based on the ToF data set and multiple sets of pre-determined ToF data associated with multiple locations in the body region.

Abstract: The medical device with an integrated ultrasound optical sensor includes a device proximal end, a body extending from the device proximal end, and at least one ultrasound sensor secured to the body. The at least one ultrasound sensor may be an optical ultrasound sensor with a sensor portion and an optical fiber in optical communication therewith. The sensor portion is positioned adjacent a distal end of the body of the medical device. A chip-based laser may be secured to the device proximal end, with the at least one ultrasound sensor being in communication with the chip-based laser.

Abstract: Mixed sensor array devices are provided herein. Mixed sensor arrays as described herein include acoustic energy generating elements and optical fiber based acoustic sensors. Optical fiber based sensors may optical structures responsive to physical parameters including acoustic signals, pressure, and temperature, and are configured to detect and receive acoustic signals and other physical parameters and provide associated optical signals to a system for processing and interpretation to implement tracking, location, imaging, and other sensing capabilities. Optical fiber based sensors provided herein may be disposed at ends of or along the length of optic fibers. Optical fiber based sensors may be included within various devices, including, for example, medical devices.

Abstract: An acoustic sensing system for an imaging system includes an acoustic probe array including at least one optical whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonator for sensing acoustic signals, at least one coupling waveguide, and a polymer, a light source coupled to a first end of the waveguide, and a light detector coupled to a second end of the waveguide. The polymer has a convex upper boundary engineered to enhance acoustic focus on the optical WGM resonator, the resonator and the waveguide each have higher refractive indices than a refractive index of the polymer, the waveguide is optically coupled to at least one optical WGM resonator, the waveguide is spaced apart from the optical WGM resonator to which it is coupled by a separation gap, and the polymer encases the optical WGM resonator an a portion of the waveguide to which it is coupled and fills the separation gap.

Abstract: Mixed sensor array devices are provided herein. Mixed sensor arrays as described herein include acoustic energy generating elements and optical fiber based acoustic sensors. Optical fiber based sensors may optical structures responsive to physical parameters including acoustic signals, pressure, and temperature, and are configured to detect and receive acoustic signals and other physical parameters and provide associated optical signals to a system for processing and interpretation to implement tracking, location, imaging, and other sensing capabilities. Optical fiber based sensors provided herein may be disposed at ends of or along the length of optic fibers. Optical fiber based sensors may be included within various devices, including, for example, medical devices.

Abstract: Provided are various embodiments relating to anti-IL17A antibodies and IL17Ra ECD polypeptides that bind to IL17A. In various embodiments, such anti-IL17A antibodies or IL17Ra ECD polypeptides can be used in methods to treat IL17-induced conditions in subjects, such as humans or companion animals, such as canines, felines, and equines. Also provided are various embodiments relating to IgG Fc variant polypeptides having one or more amino acid substitutions for reducing binding to C1q and/or CD16. In some embodiments, the IgG Fc variants and/or polypeptides comprising the IgG Fc variants (e.g., fusion polypeptides comprising the IgG Fc variants and the anti-IL17A antibodies and/or IL17Ra ECD polypeptides described herein) may have reduced complement-mediated immune responses and/or antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity.

Abstract: Systems and methods for measuring a temperature using an optical whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonator are disclosed. The system includes a WGM resonator operatively coupled to a tunable laser source and a detector, as well as a computing device. The computing device is configured to transform a transmission spectrum from the detector into a measured barcode that includes a matrix of values indicative of at least one characteristic of the transmission spectrum. The computing device is further configured to transform the measured barcode into a temperature based on a relative collective shift of the measured barcode from a reference barcode selected from a predetermined library of reference barcodes.

Abstract: Optical whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonator-based acoustic sensors, imaging systems that make use of the acoustic sensors, and methods of detecting ultrasound waves using the acoustic sensors are disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus may include one or more optical fibers, one or more optical waveguides, and multiple resonator nodes arranged in an array of sensing locations. Each resonator node may include an optical coupling between an optical waveguide and an optical fiber having a set of resonant frequencies at a respective sensing location. Each resonator node may be further configured to communicate a set of signals corresponding to at least one shift in the set of resonant frequencies in the optical fiber at the respective sensing location.

Abstract: Systems and methods for enhancing sensitivity in a sensor with exceptional points (EPs), including: providing a sensor in the form of an exception-point (EP)-enhanced sensor; providing one or optical fibers associated with the EP-enhanced sensor; providing a scatterer; and/or providing a reflective component, the reflective component influencing a mode coupling of the EP-enhanced sensor. Where the sensor is a microresonator: coupling one or more modes of the microresonator via a bidirectional coupling channel and a unidirectional coupling channel; manipulating the mode coupling by a scatterer and a reflective component, the reflective component influencing the mode coupling of the resonator; steering, via the reflective component, the microresonator around EPs; and/or sending, via the reflective component, one or more phase changes in response to external perturbations back to the microresonator.

Abstract: A gas sensing system includes a packaged photonic sensor including a resonant sensor and a control system. The control system includes a light module, a receiver module, and a core module. The light module includes a light source to generate light and transmit it to the photonic sensor. The receiver module receives light signals from the photonic sensor and converts them to digital signals. The core module includes a computing device and is programed to: control the light module to cause the light module to generate and transmit light to the packaged photonic sensor, receive the digital signals from the receiver module, and detect one or both of a concentration of a gas that interacted with the resonant sensor and an identification of the gas whose molecules interacted with the resonant sensor based at least in part on the received digital signals from the receiver module.

Abstract: Sensing apparatuses and method of making the sensing apparatuses are disclosed herein. In some variations, a sensing apparatus can comprise at least one optical waveguide, and at least one whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonator configured to propagate a set of WGMs, where the WGM resonator communicates to the at least one optical waveguide a set of signals corresponding to the set of WGMs. In some variations, a polymer structure may encapsulate the at least one WGM resonator and/or the at least one optical waveguide. Furthermore, in some variations, the WGM resonator(s) may have one or more selectable modes with different bandwidth and sensitivity for sensing, which may, for example, enable tailoring the sensing apparatus to specific applications having certain bandwidth and/or sensitivity requirements.

Abstract: An apparatus may include one or more optical fibers, one or more optical waveguides, and multiple resonator nodes arranged in an array of sensing locations. Each resonator node may include an optical coupling between an optical waveguide and an optical fiber having a set of resonant frequencies at a respective sensing location. Each resonator node may be further configured to communicate a set of signals corresponding to at least one shift in the set of resonant frequencies in the optical fiber at the respective sensing location.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are apparatus and methods for acoustic imaging. The disclosed embodiments include an optical sensor. The optical sensor may include an acoustic stack. The acoustic stack may include a backing layer that supports an optical layer. The optical layer may include an optical waveguide and a tuning device configured to tune an optical propagation property of the optical waveguide. The optical waveguide may include a core region and one or more cladding regions. The one or more cladding regions may have optical refractive index less than that of the core region.

Abstract: Sensing apparatuses and method of making the sensing apparatuses are disclosed herein. In some variations, a sensing apparatus can comprise at least one optical waveguide, and at least one whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonator configured to propagate a set of WGMs, where the WGM resonator communicates to the at least one optical waveguide a set of signals corresponding to the set of WGMs. In some variations, a polymer structure may encapsulate the at least one WGM resonator and/or the at least one optical waveguide. Furthermore, in some variations, the WGM resonator(s) may have one or more selectable modes with different bandwidth and sensitivity for sensing, which may, for example, enable tailoring the sensing apparatus to specific applications having certain bandwidth and/or sensitivity requirements.

Abstract: A displacement sensor including an optical whispering gallery mode (WGM) microresonator and a package encasing at least a portion of the WGM microresonator, the package comprising polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The WGM microresonator can be configured as a sensor and used in a displacement detection system that can detect displacement with high quality. Artificial intelligence can be implemented in the displacement detection system for improved sensing of different variables and/or pinpointing the location of perturbations.

Abstract: An acousto-optic imaging system may include at least one transducer that transmits an ultrasound signal having a fundamental frequency f. The acousto-optic imaging system includes at least one optical sensor that may produce one or more optical responses upon receiving harmonic-related ultrasound echoes corresponding to the transmitted ultrasound signal. For example, the one or more optical sensors may have a bandwidth ranging from at least f/M to Nf, where M and N are integers greater than 1.