Broadband Quantum Dot Light Emitting Diode for Optical Coherence Tomography

描述（由申请人提供）：提议的项目将开发用于光学相干断层扫描（OCT）的宽带光源。为了提高宽带超发光二极管（SLED）的性能特征，我们提出利用一种新的量子受限增益介质-量子点（QDs），量子点是一种嵌入到更宽带隙半导体中的半导体材料的几纳米大小的颗粒。OCT已经证明了它在身体症状和不可逆的病理变化发生之前检测和诊断疾病早期阶段的潜力。然而，为了使OCT在广泛的临床应用中成为活体活检的首选技术，它的分辨率和运动伪影率应该得到提高。为了提高轴向分辨率，需要具有非常宽的光谱（超过100纳米）的光源。运动伪影的减少可以通过高速实时成像来实现，这反过来又需要高功率光源。市场上没有满足这两个要求的光源。我们建议开发和测试的廉价光源预计将表现出优越的功率，光谱带宽和噪声，因此可以提供更好的分辨率和灵敏度。当组织活检是危险的或不可能的时候，这项技术有望在成像组织病理所需的OCT成像系统的分辨率上产生实质性的改进；指导外科手术；减少与切除活检相关的采样误差。它将对癌症引起的公共卫生问题产生重大影响。该项目的第一阶段将通过构建一个在1300nm水透射窗口中工作的原型光源，并在商业OCT系统中进行测试，来确定所提出方法的可行性。在该项目的第二阶段，我们将全面开发这种新型的超宽带频谱源专有技术，并将其推向商业化阶段。这项技术可以为许多行业带来好处。除了在医疗设备中的明显应用外，它还可用于食品和制药行业，测试设备以及环境监测和工业安全。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed program will develop a broad-band light source for optical coherence tomography (OCT). To enhance the performance characteristics of broadband Superluminecsent Light Emitting Diodes (SLED), we propose to utilize a novel quantum confined gain medium - quantum dots (QDs), which are a few-nm-size particles of one semiconductor material imbedded into a wider bandgap semiconductor. OCT has demonstrated its potential for detecting and diagnosing early stages of disease before physical symptoms and irreversible pathological changes occur. However, In order for OCT to fulfill the promise of becoming the technology of choice for the in-vivo biopsy in a broad range of clinical applications its resolution and motion artifact rate should be improved. In order to increase the axial resolution light sources with the very broad spectrum (more than hundred nanometers) are required. The reduction of motion artifacts can be achieved through high-speed real time imaging, which in turn requires high power light sources. There are no light sources on the market that would satisfy these two requirements. The inexpensive light source we propose to develop and test is expected to exhibit superior power, spectral bandwidth, and noise, and therefore allow better resolution and sensitivity. This technology promises to produce a substantial improvement in resolution of OCT imaging systems necessary for imaging tissue pathology when biopsy is hazardous or impossible; guiding surgical procedures; and reducing sampling errors associated with excisional biopsy. It will have a major impact on the public health issues arising from cancer. Phase I of this project will determine the feasibility of the proposed approach by construction a prototype light source operating in 1300nm water transmission window, and testing it in a commercial OCT system. During Phase II of this project we will fully develop this novel proprietary technology of ultra-broadband spectral sources, and bring this development to the stage of commercialization There are number of industries that this technology could provide benefits to. Besides obvious applications in medical devices, it can be used in food and pharmaceutical industries, test equipment, as well as for environmental monitoring and industrial safety.