Articles | Volume 19, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-3111-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-3111-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
12 May 2026
Research article |
| 12 May 2026
| 12 May 2026
A low-maintenance optoacoustic sensor for black carbon monitoring
Linda Haedrich
Chair of Biological Imaging, Central Institute for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine and Health & School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
Institute of Biological and Medical Imaging, Bioengineering Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
Nikolaos Kousias
Mechanical Engineering Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, P.O. Box 458, GR 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Ioannis Raptis
Mechanical Engineering Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, P.O. Box 458, GR 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Uli Stahl
Chair of Biological Imaging, Central Institute for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine and Health & School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
Institute of Biological and Medical Imaging, Bioengineering Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
Leonidas Ntziachristos
Mechanical Engineering Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, P.O. Box 458, GR 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Vasilis Ntziachristos
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Chair of Biological Imaging, Central Institute for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine and Health & School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
Institute of Biological and Medical Imaging, Bioengineering Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
Munich Institute of Biomedical Engineering (MIBE), Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching b. München, Germany
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Short summary
Black carbon or 'soot', generated by combustion, harms climate and health. Traditional filter-based sensors are prone to artefacts and need frequent human intervention. Our optoacoustic illumination-detection separating sensor (IDSS) is filterless and requires minimal cleaning. Flows of clean air shield the sensor's cavity, preventing contamination. We demonstrate the stable performance of the IDSS and estimate a cleaning cycle of 1.5 years in ship-board applications.
Black carbon or 'soot', generated by combustion, harms climate and health. Traditional...
