An optical and optoacoustics platform for laser therapeutics

生物医学光学是物理学、工程学和生物学交叉研究的一个快速发展的领域，它处理光与生命系统的相互作用。近红外辐射光谱和光声成像等光学探测技术为在微观结构、生物化学和分子水平上检测组织的变化提供了可能性。这一领域的研究是由微创或非侵入性技术的吸引力推动的，这些技术不涉及将人们暴露在电离辐射中。拟议的NSERC研究计划的总体目标是提供一套用于光学治疗应用的新型光学工具。具体地说，1)进一步开发用于组织表征的点辐射光谱方法；2)进一步开发基于光学的激光治疗的引导和监测策略；3)更好地了解光声对比机制，以便开发能够检测和量化组织对激光治疗的响应的光声成像技术。预计点辐射光谱和正在开发的光声成像技术将为改进激光治疗提供帮助，因此可能有助于加速这些技术进入临床实践。预计这项研究将通过开发具有成本效益的新医疗技术显著促进经济活动，为学生提供一个全面的培训平台，帮助提高加拿大医疗科学和技术的全球知名度，并为患者产生可持续的好处，这些患者的生活质量可能会通过定量开发微创激光疗法而得到改善。

Biomedical optics is a rapidly advancing area of research at the intersection of physics, engineering and biology that deals with the interaction of light with living systems. Optical interrogation technologies such as near-infrared radiance spectroscopy and optoacoustic imaging offer the potential for detecting tissue changes at the microstructural, biochemical and molecular levels. Research in this area is driven by the attractiveness of minimally invasive or non-invasive technologies that do not involve exposing people to ionizing radiation. The overall goal of the proposed NSERC research program is to deliver a suite of novel optical tools for optical therapeutic applications. Specifically 1) to further develop point radiance spectroscopy methods for tissue characterization; 2) to further develop optical based guiding and monitoring strategies for laser therapeutics and 3) to better understand optoacoustic contrast mechanisms in order to develop optoacoustic imaging techniques that can detect and quantify tissue response to laser therapeutics.It is anticipated that point radiance spectroscopy and the optoacoustic imaging technologies being developed will provide for improved laser therapeutics, and hence may help to accelerate these technologies into clinical practice. It is expected that this research will contribute significantly to increased economic activity through the development of new cost-effective medical technologies, provide a comprehensive platform for training of students, help raise the global profile of Canadian medical science and technology, and yield a sustainable benefit to patients whose quality of life may be improved by quantitative development of minimally invasive laser therapies.