Shanghai Key Laboratory of Neuro-Ultrasound for Diagnosis and Treatment is a key laboratory approved by the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality in November 2023. It is affiliated with the Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital and collaborates with Shanghai Zhu Guangya Institute of Strategic Science and Technology.

The Department of Ultrasound in Medicine of Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, recognized as the birthplace of ultrasound diagnosis in China, is designated as Shanghai Top-Priority Key Discipline, Shanghai Top-Priority Research Center, National Key Clinical Specialty, Shanghai Training Center for Ultrasound in Medicine, and a branch of Shanghai Jiao Tong University Med-X Research Institute. It operates as an affiliate of both Shanghai Municipal Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine and Imaging Medicine Institute of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The team at the laboratory is recognized as an advanced collective in the national health system. It is also designated as a key innovation team by the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission for physical regulation of nerves and imaging monitoring and as a core innovation team at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. Moreover, the laboratory collaborates within the scientific and technological innovation framework of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Team members boast extensive experience in achievement transformation, including two winners of National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars in Ultrasound and Radiology, two National Hundred, Thousand, Ten-Thousand Plan members, one Ten-thousand Talents Program member, and one Youth Top-notch Talent by the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee.

Shanghai Zhu Guangya Institute of Strategic Science and Technology, located in Lingang New Area, serves as a national innovation center and a platform for scientific and technological innovation in Shanghai. It comprises two municipal academician workstations, six corporate engineering technology research centers, and thirteen project companies. Additionally, it houses an AI and high-performance computing engineering research center and is recognized as a high-tech enterprise in Shanghai. It is also an incubation hub for scientific and technological enterprises in the region, showcasing advanced capabilities in guaranteeing scientific and technological innovation services, as well as full-process R&D and transformation capabilities for productization and marketing.

Primary research areas of Shanghai Key Laboratory of Neuro-Ultrasound for Diagnosis and Treatment include:

1. Development of new neuro-ultrasound technology.
2. Study of the ultrasonic regulation mechanism of nerves.
3. Non-invasive integrated imaging research of nerves.

The key laboratory aims to establish an innovation closed-loop model, encompassing "Key Laboratory → Zhu Guangya Institute → platform company → project company → industrial fund", with the goal of forming an ultrasound industry cluster based in the Lingang New Area, Shanghai.

Shanghai Key Laboratory of Neuro-ultrasound for Diagnosis and Treatment boasts a diverse range of platforms, including molecular imaging laboratory, neuro-ultrasound, acoustic/optical/magnetic multi-physical factor neuromodulation, molecular biology, and basic ultrasound research.

The molecular imaging laboratory platform embodies the ethos of "sharing resources for collective advancement", with the overarching goal of fostering the convergence of medicine and industry. The platform facilitates network information management and is utilized for the synthesis and characterization of molecular probes, nanomedicines, micro-nano materials, drug molecules, and more. Key equipment includes a fume hood, Millipore pure water machine, visible-UV spectrophotometer, inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometer, precision balance, vacuum drying oven, freeze dryer, ultra-high-speed/low-speed centrifuge, muffle furnace, oven, and others.

The neuro-ultrasound platform encompasses a research facility that integrates an animal surgery laboratory and an animal behavior and memory laboratory. The surgical operating platform is fully equipped with precision instruments such as strikers, brain stereotaxic instruments, small animal non-invasive blood pressure testing systems, and shadowless lamps, catering to the surgical needs of researchers. Additionally, the animal behavior and memory laboratory is equipped with instruments for studying animal communication behavior, emotional expression, social behavior, learning and memory, among others. This laboratory evaluates various physiological and psychological states, as well as movements and memory, enabling in-depth exploration of cognition, emotion, and complex life phenomena. The neuro-ultrasound platform provides a systematic experimental environment, allowing researchers to comprehensively and in real-time understand animal responses and behaviors, thus offering precise data support for research endeavors.

The multi-physical factor neuromodulation platform integrates acoustic, light, and magnetic modalities and currently houses a range of instruments and equipment, including ultrasound imaging equipment, low-intensity ultrasound treatment devices, magnetic regulation-related devices, magnetic induction heating equipment, magnetizers, photothermal devices, near-infrared imaging equipment, and others. Its research focus encompasses various areas, such as utilizing sound, light, and magnetism for neural regulation, employing magnetically driven micro-nano robots for drug delivery and disease treatment, and advancing ultrasound super-resolution imaging techniques. The platform has developed a series of customized image monitoring and magnetic control devices, laying a solid foundation for innovative research. Notable achievements include the development of image monitoring and magnetic control micro-nano robots for thrombosis treatment, the creation of experimental prototypes of image monitoring magnetic control devices, the application of magnetically controlled micro-nano robots in tumor and arthritis treatment, and their use in antibacterial applications.

The molecular biology platform serves as a cornerstone for scientific research in molecular biology, offering essential technical support and services. Currently, it comprises cell rooms and the basic molecular biology laboratory. The cell rooms are equipped with fluorescence microscopes, biological safety cabinets, CO2 incubators, three-gas incubators, and other essential experimental apparatus, adequately meeting the experimental requirements of teams engaged in cell culture and aseptic operations. The basic molecular biology laboratory is furnished with advanced instruments and equipment such as small animal in vivo imaging systems, flow cytometers, fluorescent microplate readers, fully automatic fluorescence imaging systems, cryostats, ultrahigh-pressure homogenizers, Western blotting systems, Malvern laser particle size analyzers, ESR, NanoLive, and microbubble particle size analyzers. This platform is capable of independently conducting various standard molecular biology procedures, including immunofluorescence (histochemistry), protein quantification, flow cytometry, and related experiments. Furthermore, it can quantify and characterize the physical and chemical properties, drug activity, and fate of nanomedicines both in vitro and in vivo.

The basic ultrasound research platform encompasses a sound power measurement laboratory, an electroacoustic characteristic self-adaptive method calibration laboratory, and an ultrasonic key component testing laboratory. Its core activities revolve around fundamental acoustic measurement and application technologies, spanning ultrasonic field and transducer calibration, basic sound output measurement, performance assessment of ultrasonic medical instruments, and medical clinical trials, including high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) field measurement. A significant milestone achieved by the platform is the establishment of the world's first national standard for HIFU measurement, "GB/T19890-2005." This standard, recognized and cited by prominent institutions like the NPL (UK National Physical Laboratory) and IEC, incorporates innovative methods and practical concepts. It received the prestigious "2007 China Standard Innovation Contribution Award" for its groundbreaking self-calibration theory and method for spherically focused ultrasonic transducers, positioning the platform as a global leader in this domain. Moreover, the platform played a pivotal role in developing technical specifications for national standards such as "GB/T 32522-2016" and "IEC TS 62903 Ed.1:2018", focusing on the theory and method of self-calibration for various ultrasonic transducer types. It has expanded its scope to include cylindrical focusing transducers, spherical transducers, hydrophones, and beyond. Innovations continue with the introduction of the radiation force balance (RFB) method for measuring ultrasonic power technology. This pioneering approach facilitates phased array, low-frequency (20-100kHz) divergent wave field power measurement and is currently under consideration for group standards adoption. Furthermore, the platform has developed a pulse echo ultrasonic probe performance testing system, enabling the measurement of sensitivity and center frequency parameters of ultrasonic diagnostic equipment probes in use. This system supports preventive testing and daily quality control of ultrasonic probes, ensuring the reliability and accuracy of diagnostic imaging processes.

Introduction of the Director