Next Generation Quantitative Acoustic Microscopy for Biomedical Application

河滨研究、布里斯托尔大学(布里斯托尔，联合王国)和保罗·萨巴蒂尔大学(图卢兹， 法国)提议开发下一代定量声学显微镜(QAM)系统。具体而言，数据- 科学和编码激励方法将首次应用于QAM技术，以获得更好的图像 质量，减少扫描时间，更易于使用，以及为新一代新颖、低成本 用户友好的QAM仪器。QAM允许形成精细分辨率(即，在250 MHz时为7微米)的声学地图 以及厚度为12微米的组织切片的机械性能。这些数据在众多数据中具有巨大价值 临床前研究。这样的属性图目前不能通过任何其他显微成像方式获得， 而这一拟议项目的成功使新一代QAM技术成为可能 广泛应用于商业和学术研究环境中的研究实验室和显微镜工作室。 这种新一代QAM仪器可以由对QAM了解有限的技术人员使用，在许多情况下 通过各种方式，它们的使用不会比使用传统的明场显微镜更复杂。这些小说 将使用已有的解析靶标、模体和生物组织来演示QAM的方法 (来自近视和癌变的人类淋巴结的豚鼠模型的眼组织样本)。在这个过程中 项目中，优化方法将被整合到能够生产超细颗粒的原型QAM(PQAM)仪器中 与当前最先进的技术相比，空间分辨率(&lt；2微米)图像的速度更快(&lt；1分钟)，成本更低(&lt；$40k QAM系统。此外，pQAM的使用将是``交钥匙‘’(即，不需要技术知识且少于1小时 培训。)

Riverside Research, the University of Bristol (Bristol, United Kingdom), and the University Paul Sabatier (Toulouse, France) propose to develop the next generation of quantitative acoustic microscopy (QAM) systems. Specifically, data- science and coded-excitation approaches will be applied for the first time to QAM technology to yield better image quality, decreased scanning time, greater ease of use, as well as to pave the way for a new generation of novel, low-cost, user-friendly QAM instruments. QAM permits formation of fine-resolution (i.e., <7 µm at 250 MHz) maps of acoustic and mechanical properties of tissue sections that are <12 µm in thickness. These data can have great value in numerous preclinical investigations. Such property maps are not currently obtainable by any other microscopic-imaging modality, and the new generation of QAM technology made possible by success in this proposed project could become widespread in research laboratories and microscopy suites in commercial as well as academic research environments. Such new-generation QAM instruments could be used by technicians with limited knowledge of QAM and, in many ways, their use would be no more complicated than use of a conventional bright-field microscope. These novel approaches to QAM will be demonstrated using already available resolution targets, phantoms, and biological tissues (ocular-tissue samples from a guinea-pig model of myopia and cancerous human lymph nodes). During the course of this project, optimal methods will be incorporated in a prototype QAM (pQAM) instrument capable of producing ultra-fine spatial resolution (< 2 µm) images much faster (<1 min) and for a much lower cost (<$40k) than current state-of-the-art QAM systems. In addition, pQAM use will be ``turn-key'' (i.e., requiring no technical knowledge and less than 1 hour of training.)