Miniaturised 3D biomedical imaging: super-resolution microscopy development using 3D-printing and structured illumination

博士项目的目的是开发新型的具有成本效益的，可扩展的生物医学成像系统，该系统使用3D打印，MEMS（微机电系统）技术和有源微光学技术具有超分辨率能力。近年来，新兴的成像技术为理解生物医学发展过程和相互作用做出了巨大贡献，仅在过去10年中就有两项与生物医学成像技术相关的诺贝尔奖。然而，这些新技术仍然成本高昂，限制了在资金较少的实验室和发展中国家的推广和使用。该项目将开发新技术，以实现基于光学微机电系统（MEMS）技术、微光学和光学3D打印的超分辨率成像方法，以实现真正具有成本效益的小型系统。此外，新的图像处理技术，以实现超分辨率的方法将进行调查，与学生获得支持，并获得经验的所有技术部分，这通过主管和进一步的成员，我们的小组工作的生物医学成像系统和图像处理。博士将受益，并有助于研究更广泛的计划，生物医学成像系统，这两个项目在发展中国家有积极的合作伙伴，特别是印度（印度理工学院甘地讷格尔）以及美国（斯坦福大学）和日本（东京大学）。学生将被期望融入并为这些合作参与做出贡献，包括在可能的情况下在合作者的实验室花费时间。

The aim of the PhD project is the development of novel cost-effective, miniaturised biomedical imaging systems which have super-resolution capability using 3D-printing, MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems) technology and active micro-optics. Emerging imaging technologies have contributed immensely to the understanding of biomedical development processes and interactions in recent times, with two Nobel Prices related to biomedical imaging techniques awarded in the last 10 years alone. These novel techniques are however still costly, limiting distribution and accessibility in less funded labs and developing countries.The project will develop new techniques to miniaturise super-resolution imaging approaches based on optical Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) technology, micro-optics and optical 3D-printing, to achieve a truly cost-efficient small-scale system. Additionally, new image processing techniques for achieving the super-resolution approach will be investigated, with the student receiving support and gaining experience on all technological parts of this through the supervisors and further members of our group working on biomedical imaging systems and image processing.The PhD will benefit and contribute to a wider program of research on miniaturised biomedical imaging systems, sponsored by a EPSRC New Investigator Award and a RAEng Engineering for Development Research Fellowship, which have active collaborative partners in developing countries, specifically India (Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar), as well as the United States (Stanford University) and Japan (University of Tokyo). The student will be expected to be integrated and contribute to these collaborative involvements, including the aim to spend time at the laboratories of collaborators if possible.