If you have passed a routine view at the Optometrist office, it is likely that you had to place your chin and your forehead near a bioimperie device.
It is known as optical coherence tomography (OCT), and it is widely used in eye clinics around the world. Oct uses light waves to take images in high -resolution transverse cut in the retina in a non -invasive manner.
These images can be essential to diagnose and monitor eye conditions.
In any retinal imaging or in vivo, which takes place inside human devices, must be small and compact enough to produce high quality images.
However, mechanical aspects of OCT devices, such as rotation mirrors, can increase the risk of device failure.
Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder have developed a new bioimperie device which can work with a significantly lower power and in a completely non -mechanical way. He could one day improve eye detection and even heart conditions.
In a recent study published in Optics ExpressThe team of engineers has created a device that uses a process called electroelectrow to modify the surface shape of a liquid to perform optical functions.
We are really delighted to use one of our devices, especially for retinal imagery. This could be a critical technique for in vivo imaging for the interior of our body. »»
Samuel Gilinsky, principal author, a recent graduate of electrical engineering doctoral
By creating a device that does not use scanning mirrors, the technique requires less electrical energy than the other devices used for oct and bioimperie.
“The advantages of non-mechanical scanning are that you eliminate the need to physically move objects in your device, which reduces the sources of mechanical failure and increases the overall longevity of the device itself,” said Gilinsky.
Gilinsky noted the need that these Oct Systems are compact, light and above all safe for use for the human body.
The other members of the research team included Juliet Gopinath, professor of electrical engineering; Shu-Wei Huang, associate professor of electrical engineering; Victor Bright, professor of mechanical engineering; Doctoral graduates Jan Bartos and Eduardo Miscles; And doctoral student Jonathan Musgrave.
“Our work has an opportunity where we can, hope, detect health conditions earlier and improve people’s lives,” said Gopinath.
Where the zebra fish meet the eye
To test the ability of the device to perform biomedical imaging, the researchers turned to a surprising aquatic animal: zebra fish.
The zebra fish has been used in research on the Oct because the structure of their eyes is quite similar to the structure of the human eye. For the study, researchers focused on identifying the cornea, iris and the retina of zebra fish.
To lead in vivo or other bioimperie, scientists must be able to identify the structure of samples of interest, such as the eye or organs inside the body. The two landmarks that the group hoped to reach were 10 micron in axial resolution, then about 5 microns in lateral resolution, all smaller than the width of human hair.
“The interesting result was that we were able to delimit the cornea and the iris in our images,” said Gilinsky. “We were able to achieve the resolution objectives that we were visiting, which was exciting. »»
Being able to test this bioimaging device can open new doors to map the aspects of the retina which can be essential to diagnose potential eye conditions such as macular degeneration and age -related glaucoma.
In addition, Gilinsky said, the new bioimperie technique could help delimit real human coronary coronary characteristics that would be important to diagnose heart disease-the main cause of death in the United States.
With the expertise of the research team in microscopy systems, they hope to create endoscopes that could revolutionize bioimaging technology.
“There is an increasing push to make endoscopes as small as possible and flexible as possible to cause as little discomfort as possible,” he said. “Using our components, we can maintain an optical system on a very small scale compared to a mechanical scanner that can help OCT technologies. »»
The project was funded by the Office of Naval Research, the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.