Miniaturised 3D biomedical imaging: multimodal miniature microscope development

博士项目的目标是利用MEMS(微电子机械系统)技术和有源微光学技术开发新型的成本效益高的微型化生物医学成像系统。近年来，新兴的成像技术对了解生物医学的发展过程和相互作用做出了巨大贡献，仅在过去5年中就获得了与生物医学成像技术有关的两项诺贝尔奖。然而，这些新技术仍然昂贵，限制了资金较少的实验室和发展中国家的分布和可获得性。抓住这一可用性差距，开发具有互补光声显微镜(PAM)读数的微型光片显微镜(LSM)系统的小型化方法是本研究的目标。LSM具有低光剂量和低光毒性的快速3D荧光成像的优点，可以研究长期的生物医学过程，而PAM近年来引起了越来越多的研究兴趣，断层扫描和光学分辨率方案在生物医学应用中实现了无标记的深层组织成像的好处。该项目将开发新的技术来微型化和结合多种成像模式，着眼于增加厚生物样本的成像深度和成像潜力。这一微型化将基于光学微电子机械系统(MEMS)技术、微光学和3D打印，学生将通过我们在生物医学成像系统方面的主管和研究小组的其他成员获得支持并获得其中所有技术部分的经验。该博士职位将受益于更广泛的微型生物医学成像系统研究计划，该计划由RAEng工程促进发展研究奖学金赞助，该奖学金在发展中国家，特别是印度(印度甘地那加理工学院)以及美国(斯坦福大学)和日本(东京大学)拥有积极的合作伙伴。学生将被期望融入并为这些协作参与做出贡献，包括花时间在合作者的实验室中的目标。

The aim of the PhD project is the development of novel cost-effective, miniaturised biomedical imaging systems using 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 5 years alone. These novel techniques are however still costly, limiting distribution and accessibility in less funded labs and developing countries.Tackling this availability gap, an approach of miniaturisation for the development of a miniaturised light sheet microscopy (LSM) system with complementary photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) readout is targeted in this studentship. LSM has the benefit of fast 3D fluorescence imaging with low light doses and low photo toxicity, allowing investigations of long term biomedical processes, while PAM has seen an increased research interest in recent years, with tomographic and optical resolution schemes implementing the benefit of label free, deep tissue imaging in biomedical applications. The project will develop new techniques to miniaturise and combine multiple imaging modalities, looking at increasing imaging depth and imaging potential in thick biological samples. This miniaturisation will be based on optical Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) technology, micro-optics and 3D-printing, with the student receiving support and gaining experience on all technological parts of this through the supervisors and further members of our research group working on biomedical imaging systems.The PhD position will benefit and contribute to a wider program of research on miniaturised biomedical imaging systems, sponsored by a RAEng Engineering for Development Research Fellowship which has 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.