Internship | Wearable ultrasound application developer

About this position

Ultrasound is traditionally used as a handheld imaging tool operated by clinicians, but many important healthcare applications do not require full imaging. Instead, they benefit from continuous sensing, long-term monitoring, and integration into wearable systems. At Holst Centre / TNO in Eindhoven, we are developing a modular, lightweight wearable ultrasound platform that can connect to various transducers and operate outside conventional clinical settings. This technology enables new possibilities such as lung, bladder, muscle, and motion monitoring during daily activities. We are seeking an intern to help translate this platform into a concrete, validated wearable ultrasound sensing application through experimental design, signal processing, and system integration.

What will be your role?

During this internship, the student will work on turning a wearable ultrasound research platform into a concrete sensing application. First, the student will become familiar with the ultrasound hardware, transducers, and data acquisition system. Together with the supervisors, the student will select a specific application such as muscle, lung, bladder, or motion monitoring.

The student will then design the wearable measurement setup, including probe placement, coupling, and repeatability. They will develop signal processing methods to extract meaningful features from the ultrasound data and make the measurements robust to motion and real-world use. Finally, the student will perform experiments on phantoms, evaluate performance, and demonstrate a working wearable ultrasound sensing prototype.

What we expect from you

We are looking for a motivated, hands-on student with an interest in biomedical sensing and experimental work. You have a background in Biomedical or Electrical Engineering. Experience with programming and signal processing using Matlab and python is necessary. Affinity with ultrasound or measurement systems is a plus. Most importantly, you are curious, proactive, and eager to turn research into a practical wearable application.

What you'll get in return

You will, of course, be properly supervised during your work placement and be given the scope for you to get the best out of yourself. Furthermore, we provide:

• A highly professional, innovative internship environment, within a team of top experts.
• A suitable internship allowance (615 euro for wo-, hbo- and mbo-students, for a full-time internship).
• Possibility of eight hours of free leave per internship month (for a full-time internship).
• A free membership of Jong TNO, where you can meet other TNO professionals and join several activities, such as sports activities, (work-related) courses or the yearly ski-trip.
• Use of a laptop.
• An allowance for travel expenses in case you don’t receive an OV-card.

TNO as an employer

At TNO, we innovate for a healthier, safer and more sustainable life. And for a strong economy. There is all the space and support for your talent and ambition. You work with people who will challenge you: who inspire you and want to learn from you. Our state-of-the-art facilities are there to realize your vision. What you do at TNO matters: impact makes the difference. Because with every innovation you contribute to tomorrow’s world.