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

博士项目的目标是开发新型的具有成本效益的微型生物医学成像系统，该系统具有超分辨率能力，使用3d打印，MEMS（微机电系统）技术和主动微光学。近年来，新兴的成像技术极大地促进了对生物医学发展过程和相互作用的理解，仅在过去的10年里，就有两个诺贝尔奖与生物医学成像技术有关。然而，这些新技术仍然昂贵，限制了在资金较少的实验室和发展中国家的分发和可及性。该项目将开发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的新技术，以实现真正具有成本效益的小型系统。此外，将研究实现超分辨率方法的新图像处理技术，学生将通过主管和研究生物医学成像系统和图像处理的小组成员获得所有技术部分的支持和经验。该博士学位将有利于并促进一个更广泛的小型化生物医学成像系统研究项目，该项目由EPSRC新研究者奖和RAEng工程促进发展研究奖学金资助，这两个项目在发展中国家有积极的合作伙伴，特别是印度（印度理工学院甘地纳格尔）、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，包括尽可能花时间在合作者的实验室。

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.