PhD on Signal Processing for a Wearable Ultrasound Monitoring Prototype

Job description

Wearable medical monitoring solutions are needed to manage the increasing financial burden of healthcare for Europe's aging population. Current wearable devices are limited to measuring surface-level parameters like electrical potentials, temperature, color, and sweat. Wearable ultrasound, in turn,  could enable safe, non-invasive monitoring of deep internal body processes, enhancing accuracy and clinical utility.

The EU project “SonoSkin” is aimed at developing an affordable and scalable wearable ultrasound technology for continuous monitoring of critical body functions both in hospital and home settings. The project involves the development of open-access platform technologies using MEMS ultrasound technology in combination with edge AI to manufacture wearable devices (patches) that can monitor processes deep inside the body.

We are seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate to join our team and contribute to the development of wearable ultrasound technology for lung monitoring of ventilated patients.

Key Responsibilities

• Conducting an initial exploration study with a clinical ultrasound scanner
• Developing acquisition schemes tailored to wearable ultrasound
• Ultrasound signal processing and (AI based) feature extraction relevant to lung monitoring
• Experimental validation of the final wearable ultrasound monitoring prototype

The position will be based at the Photoacoustics & Ultrasound Lab Eindhoven (PULS/e) in the Department of Biomedical Engineering under the supervision of dr. ir. H.-M. Schwab and prof. dr. ir. R.G.P. Lopata. The PULS/e group consists of a multi-disciplinary and international team of researchers that work on novel imaging US techniques, photoacoustics, image reconstruction, functional imaging, and model-based image analysis. Within this project you will be closely collaborating with industrial project partners, such as Demcon Macawi and Xiver. Next to the research described above, you will supervise MSc / BSc students that will work on projects within the scope of your own.

Job requirements

• A master’s degree (or an equivalent university degree) in Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Physics or comparable
• Affinity with ultrasound, or a comparable domain
• Experience with signal processing, programming, imaging physics, imaging system design/hardware
• A research-oriented attitude
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team and interested in collaborating with industrial partners
• Motivated to develop your teaching skills and coach students
• Fluent in spoken and written English (C1 level)
• Good presentation skills required to present your work for a scientific audience

Conditions of employment

A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university, in an interdisciplinary setting and within an international network. You will work on a beautiful, green campus within walking distance of the central train station. In addition, we offer you:

• Full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate evaluation (go/no-go) after nine months. You will spend 10% of your employment on teaching tasks.
• Salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, paid pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, scale P (min. €2,901 max. €3,707).
• A year-end bonus of 8.3% and annual vacation pay of 8%.
• High-quality training programs and other support to grow into a self-aware, autonomous scientific researcher. At TU/e we challenge you to take charge of your own learning process.
• An excellent technical infrastructure, on-campus children's day care and sports facilities.
• An allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
• A Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the 30% facility) for international candidates. 

Information and application

About us

Eindhoven University of Technology is an internationally top-ranking university in the Netherlands that combines scientific curiosity with a hands-on attitude. Our spirit of collaboration translates into an open culture and a top-five position in collaborating with advanced industries. Fundamental knowledge enables us to design solutions for the highly complex problems of today and tomorrow. 

Curious to hear more about what it’s like as a PhD candidate at TU/e? Please view the video.

Information

Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more?
Please contact the hiring manager Richard Lopata, Full Professor, r.lopata@tue.nl or +31 40 247 4878.

Visit our website for more information about the application process or the conditions of employment. You can also contact our HR advisors hradvicebme@tue.nl.

Are you inspired and would like to know more about working at TU/e? Please visit our career page.

Application

We invite you to submit a complete application by using the apply button. The application should include a:

• Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position.
• Curriculum vitae, including a list of your publications and the contact information of three references.

We look forward to receiving your application and will screen it as soon as possible. The vacancy will remain open until the position is filled.