Micro-Scale, Multi-Spectral Flourescent Imaging for Bio-Heat Transfer Applications

0101161 McGrathLiving生物材料的尺寸范围从细胞和组织到整个器官，可能会因意外暴露于极端温度而受损（例如冻伤和烧伤）。不寻常的高温或低温也可以在临床上分别通过加热或冷冻来杀死肿瘤。相反，适当使用低温暴露可用于将细胞和组织保存几乎无限期。此外，在保存和杀死的极端之间，有许多外科手术和生物技术程序，相当于通过使用加热或冷却（冷冻）来生产具有改性特性的生物材料。例子包括稳定关节，缓解脊柱疼痛，美容手术和心脏病的加热治疗。在所有这些情况下，了解生物材料如何响应温度变化和相关事件（如冷冻期间发生的相变）非常重要。不幸的是，人们对细胞、组织和器官对温度波动的详细反应往往知之甚少。此外，可用于研究详细反应的实验工具有限或缺乏。我们已经确定了两个具体的需求，这是拟议的研究的重点。目前的方法通常使用干扰测量系统的温度测量设备（侵入式），仅在一个位置测量，并且相对于感兴趣的小尺寸太大。因此，所提出的研究解决的第一个需求将是提供一种以微尺度空间分辨率在生物材料的整个表面（而不是单个位置）上连续非侵入性地（使用光学方法）测量温度的方法。关于测量组织内的细胞是活的还是死的方法，本领域的当前状态也是有限的。因此，所提出的研究所解决的第二个需求将是提供一种在具有微尺度空间分辨率的组织内非侵入性地（使用光学方法）连续测量组织细胞活力的手段。以肿瘤细胞为例，应用分子生物学方法来实现这一点。这两种光学方法提供了一种将生物材料的应用热历史与生物反应直接联系起来的方法，这种方式以前是不可能的。作为拟议研究的一部分，将开发成功实施这两种方法的示例。这项研究的成功完成将提供工具，可用于更好地了解许多类型的生物材料对各种应用热挑战的反应。这将成为未来热治疗合理设计方法的基础，以改善医疗保健。

0101161McGrathLiving biomaterials spanning the size scale from cells and tissues to entire organs can be damaged by accidental exposure to temperature extremes (e.g. frostbite and burns). Unusually high or low temperatures can also be used clinically to kill tumors by heating or freezing respectively. In contrast, proper use of low temperature exposure can be used to preserve cells and tissues for virtually indefinite periods. Furthermore, between the extremes of preserving and killing there are many surgical and biotechnology procedures that amount to producing biomaterials with modified characteristics by using heating or cooling (freezing). Examples include heating treatments for stabilizing joints, relieving spinal pain, cosmetic surgery and heart disease. In all of these cases it is very important to understand how the biomaterial responds to the temperature changes and associated events such as the phase changes which occur during freezing. Unfortunately, very often not enough is known about the detailed responses of cells, tissues and organs to temperature excursions. Furthermore, the experimental tools available to study the detailed responses are limited or lacking. We have identified two specific needs that are the focus of the proposed research. Current methods often use temperature-measuring devices that disturb the system measured (invasive), only measure at one location and are too large relative to the small sizes of interest. Thus the first need addressed by the proposed research will be to provide a means of continuously measuring temperature non-invasively (using optical methods) over entire surfaces of biomaterials (rather than single locations) with micro-scale spatial resolution. The current state of the art is also limited with regard to methods to measure whether cells within tissues are alive or dead. Thus the second need addressed by the proposed research will be to provide a means of continuously measuring tissue cell viability non-invasively (using optical methods) within tissues with micro-scale spatial resolution. Molecular biology methods are applied to accomplish this using tumor cells as an example. These two optical methods provide a means of directly linking the applied thermal history of the biomaterial to the biological response in a manner not possible previously. Examples of the successful implementation of these two methods will be developed as part of the proposed research. The successful completion of this research will provide tools that can be used to develop a better understanding of the response of many types of biomaterials to a variety of applied thermal challenges. This will form the basis of future methods of rationale design of thermal treatments for improved health care.