ASEMtech Inc. (headquartered in Koganei, Tokyo; Representative Director and CEO: Kenji Ikushima; hereafter “ASEMtech”), in collaboration with researchers from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Nippon Sigmax Co., Ltd., Tohoku University, and Anylom Inc., has detected osteoporosis-associated changes in rat femoral bones using the acoustically stimulated electromagnetic (ASEM) method, which detects weak electric polarization (piezoelectric signals) induced in bone by ultrasound irradiation. Piezoelectric signals were significantly reduced in regions where micro-CT confirmed bone loss. These findings provide a foundation for developing technology to non-invasively assess aspects of bone quality distinct from bone mineral density, with the potential to improve future fracture risk assessment.
The findings were published online in the international journal Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology on September 22, 2026.