CAREER: Miniature Scanning Endoscope for Multi-modality High-resolution Optical Imaging of Internal Organs

0348720l本职业发展计划的重点是开发新一代扫描内窥镜，该内窥镜具有传统扫描显微镜的所有主要功能，但足够小，可以对内部器官进行成像，长期关注早期疾病检测，特别是早期癌症检测。除了临床应用之外，该设备也可能是基础生物医学研究的宝贵工具，特别是那些涉及体内动物模型研究的研究。该研究计划的主要目标是开发一种微型、前瞻性、多模态的光学成像设备，该设备可以通过内窥镜检查内部器官，达到或接近细胞分辨率。内窥镜可以与光学相干断层扫描（OCT）、共聚焦显微镜和潜在的多光子（荧光）显微镜（MPM）一起使用，进行非侵入性的“光学活检”。具体的年度计划是：(1)开发扫描内窥镜的基本部件，包括微型光纤光束扫描仪和高性能消色差显微光学；(2)探索一种基于超声微电机的实时焦点跟踪机制；(3)开发了一种新型光束扫描方案，实现了超宽带光源的实时超高分辨率OCT成像，并研究了微型扫描内窥镜的实时面共聚焦成像；(4)利用癌变动物模型研究扫描内窥镜评估癌变的可行性；(5)进一步将扫描内窥镜小型化，与传统的表面组织内窥镜对接，探索扫描内窥镜用于MPM成像的可行性。除了临床应用之外，该装置还可以作为基础生物医学研究的宝贵工具，特别是那些涉及体内动物模型研究的研究。教育计划的中心目标是建立一个强大的生物医学成像和生物光子学研究和教育计划，垂直整合物理，工程和临床诊断应用。该计划包括开发研究生和本科生课程，并吸引学生（特别是本科生）参与研究者的研究项目，从而为学生提供必要的严格训练，以架起基础生物医学工程研究和临床应用的桥梁。

0348720LiThis Career Development Plan focuses on developing a new-generation scanning endoscope that has all the major functions of a conventional scanning microscope yet is sufficiently small for imaging internal organs, with a long-term focus on early disease detection, particularly early cancer detection. In addition to clinical applications, the device may also be a valuable tool for basic biomedical research, particularly for those involving serial in vivo animal model studies. The primary objective of the research plan is to develop a miniature, forward-looking, multi-modality optical imaging device that can be delivered endoscopically for examining internal organs at or near cellular resolution. The endoscope can be used with optical coherence tomography (OCT), confocal microscopy and potentially multiphoton (fluorescence) microscopy (MPM), to perform non-invasive "optical biopsy." The year-by-year specific plans are to: (1) develop the essential components for a scanning endoscope, including a miniature fiber-optic beam scanner and high performance achromatic micro optics; (2) explore a novel real-time focus-tracking mechanism using an ultrasonic micromotor; (3) develop a new beam-scanning scheme that enables real-time ultrahigh resolution OCT imaging with an ultra broadband light source, and study real-time en face confocal imaging with the miniature scanning endoscope; (4) investigate the feasibility of the scanning endoscope for assessing cancerous changes using a carcinogenesis animal model; and (5) further miniaturize the scanning endoscope to interface with conventional surface tissue endoscopes, and explore the feasibility of the scanning endoscope for MPM imaging. In addition to clinical applications, the proposed device can also be a valuable tool for basic biomedical research, particularly for those involving serial in vivo animal model studies. The central aim of the education plan is to create a strong biomedical imaging and biophotonics research and education program, which vertically integrates physics, engineering and clinical diagnosis applications. The plan involves developing graduate and undergraduate courses and engaging students (particularly, undergraduate students) in the investigator's research program, thus providing students with the rigorous training necessary to bridge basic biomedical engineering research and clinical applications.