THE UCL BIOMEDICAL OPTICS RESEARCH LABORATORY: CROSS DISCIPLINARY FEASIBILITY ACCOUNT

将开展以下研究活动：1.利用声光效应收听被动大脑声音我们建议研究一种新的诊断工具，该工具基于对大脑因血流异常而发出的声波的被动光学检测。这可以用来检测异常情况，如脑瘤、大脑动脉阻塞(狭窄)和动脉瘤。如果成功，它可以扩展到对身体其他部位发出的声音的研究，例如在肌肉骨骼系统、心脏和肺部。光声腔是一种模拟混沌量子系统、雷达和通信系统的光声成像方法，是一种基于探测激光产生的超声波的新型医学成像方法。提出了一种将待成像物体封闭在声腔内的新方法。通过检测腔体周围的声音混响，仅用一个探测器就可以重建图像，从而极大地降低了光声成像仪器的成本和复杂性。一个关键的方面还将是探索使用这种腔作为模拟，以帮助理解量子动力学、雷达和电信中的其他混响或多路径系统。使用原子力显微镜的纳米级光声成像将研究一种新的技术，以提供纳米级空间分辨率的生物样品和其他材料的3D图像。这涉及使用原子力显微镜来检测由于吸收非常短的激光脉冲而产生的高频超声波所引起的表面位移。这种方法可以为研究单个细胞、细胞器或大蛋白分子等生物样本提供强有力的工具，并有助于新药的开发。它还可以用于材料科学，例如，表征半导体材料，以帮助开发新的电子设备。4使用激光诱导声速层析成像乳腺癌将探索一种新的医学成像模式的可行性，该模式基于使用近红外激光诱导声速变化来检测乳腺癌。这提供了通过提供光学吸收的3D图像来增强诊断能力的前景，使其成为检测乳腺癌和监测治疗的更有效的工具。在血管医学和新生儿护理方面的应用也有望出现，该技术的各个方面，如图像重建方法，预计将与工业火焰诊断等非医疗应用相关。用于生物组织温度成像的热致变色造影剂将探索使用热致变色颜料作为造影剂在生物组织厚样中产生温度分布图像的可行性。这种颜料的光学吸收特性随温度的变化而变化，这可以用各种光学方法来检测，如光学层析成像和光声成像。这项技术随后可以被用作优化激光手术、放射治疗和光动力癌症治疗等疗法的治疗参数的工具。6.利用多光谱光学成像技术揭示古代文本我们建议将临床光学光谱学和成像技术发展起来的技术扩展到对古文献的分析，如回文，这些文献通过去除底层文本而被重复使用，使其对人眼不可见。我们提出的技术，使用多波长照明和光谱图像分析，提供了增加对比度的前景，使文本能够被破译。其他应用领域包括文件分析、艺术品修复和伪造检测。

The following research activities will be undertaken:1. Listening to passive brain sound using the acousto-optic effectWe propose investigating a new diagnostic tool based upon the passive optical detection of sound waves emitted by the brain due to abnormal blood flow. This could be used to detect abnormalities such as brain tumours, blockages in a cerebral artery (stenosis) and aneurysms. If successful, it could be extended to the study of sounds emitted elsewhere in the body, for example in the muscoskeletal system, heart and lungs.2. Photoacoustic cavities as an analogue for chaotic quantum systems, radar and communication systemsPhotoacoustic imaging is a new medical imaging method based upon the detection of laser generated ultrasound waves. A new approach in which the object to be imaged is enclosed within an acoustic cavity is proposed. By detecting the sound reverberating around the cavity an image can be reconstructed using just single detector thus dramatically reducing the cost and complexity of photoacoustic imaging instruments. A critical aspect will also be the exploration of the use of such cavities as analogues to help understand other reverberant or multipath systems in quantum dynamics, radar and telecommunications.3. Nanoscale photoacoustic imaging using an atomic force microscopeA novel technique for providing 3D images of biological samples and other materials with nanoscale spatial resolution will be investigated. This involves using an atomic force microscope to detect the surface displacements induced by high frequency ultrasound waves generated by the absorption of very short laser pulses. This approach could provide a powerful tool for studying biological samples such as individual cells, organelles or large protein molecules and aid the development of new drugs. It could also be used in materials science for example to characterise semiconductor materials to aid the development of new electronic devices.4 Imaging breast cancer using laser-induced sound speed tomographyThe feasibility of a new medical imaging modality for detecting breast cancer based upon inducing sound speed variations using near-infrared laser light will be explored. This offers the prospect of enhanced diagnostic capability by providing 3D images of optical absorption making it a more effective tool both for the detection of breast cancer and monitoring treatment. Applications in vascular medicine and neonatal care are also expected to emerge and aspects of the technique, such as the image reconstruction methods, are expected to be of relevance to non medical applications such as industrial flame diagnostics.5. Thermochromic contrast agents for imaging temperature in biological tissueThe feasibility of generating images of temperature distribution in thick samples of biological tissue using thermochromic pigments as contrast agents will be explored. Such pigments change their optical absorption characteristics depending on temperature and this can be detected using a variety of optical methods such optical tomography and photoacoustic imaging. This technique could then be used as a tool to optimise the treatment parameters of therapies such as laser surgery, radiotherapy, and photodynamic cancer therapy. 6. Uncovering ancients texts using multispectral optical imaging techniquesWe propose to extend techniques developed in clinical optical spectroscopy and imaging to the analysis of ancient documents such as palimpsests, documents that have been reused by removing the underlying text rendering it invisible to the human eye. The techniques we propose, using multiwavelength illumination and a spectroscopic image analysis, offer the prospect of increasing contrast allowing the text to be deciphered. Other areas of application include document analysis, art restoration and forgery detection.