Campus-wide Optical Coherence Tomography Facility

我们寻求利用偏振敏感光学相干断层扫描（OCT）在高空间和时间分辨率下对活的多细胞和细胞外组织进行成像，这在麦克马斯特大学是不可用的。OCT分析组织反射的激光，以类似于超声成像中的后向散射声的方式生成XYZ图像。OCT使我们能够在几毫米的深度下，以低至3微米的空间分辨率和5微米的时间分辨率来分辨难以成像的活体组织。成像的“最佳点”填补了活体材料的浅穿透、高分辨率共聚焦和组织水平fMRI成像之间的空白。当我们将组织的相关显微镜扩展到多细胞水平和组织-生物材料相互作用时，“最佳点”的特征变得越来越重要。OCT光学和计算已经非常成熟，新的多用户交钥匙系统现在可以让非专业人员使用。特别感兴趣的是偏振敏感OCT，用于解析活组织中的纤维和周期性结构，如细胞外基质或聚合物基质，如生物材料中的纤维素。麦克马斯特大学最近建立了一个校园范围内的“高级光学显微镜中心”（CALM），为麦克马斯特大学和邻近缺乏开放OCT能力的大学提供了专业知识、支持和可及性。麦克马斯特的设备方法将促进与其他成像系统（如共聚焦或原子力显微镜）跨模式和规模的相关成像，并与生物医学应用的先进光驱动增材制造集成。

We seek to enable imaging of living multicellular and extracellular tissues at high spatial and temporal resolution with Polarisation Sensitive Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), unavailable at McMaster University. OCT analyses laser light reflected by tissue to generate XYZ images in a manner analogous to backscattered sound in ultrasound imaging. OCT allows us to resolve difficult-to-image living tissues with as low as 3 micron spatial and 5 msec temporal resolution, at depths of several millimeters. This sweet spot' for imaging fills the gap between shallow penetration, but high resolution confocal and tissue level fMRI imaging for living material. The sweet spot' is increasingly important to characterise as we extend correlative microscopy of tissues to the multicellular level and tissue-biomaterial interactions. OCT optics and computation have matured dramatically, and new multi-user turnkey systems can now enable use by non-specialists. Of particular interest is Polarisation Sensitive OCT to resolve fibrillar and periodic structures in living tissue, such as extracellular matrix or polymer matrices like cellulose in biomaterials. McMaster's recent establishment of a campus-wide “Centre for Advanced Light Microscopy” (CALM) provides the expertise, support and accessibility to bring OCT to McMaster- and neighbouring universities lacking open OCT capability. McMaster's facility approach will foster correlative imaging across modes and scale with other imaging systems, like confocal or atomic force microscopy, and integration with advanced light-driven additive manufacturing for biomedical applications. Immediately, OCT is required to complete and extend research by applicants on adaptation to stress of extracellular matrix. Six investigators, at all career stages require OCT now to characterise tissue adaptations to stress, including tissue interaction with biomaterials. The prospect of mid-scale tissue imaging has assembled McMaster investigators across diverse disciplines and triggered unexpected collaborations. We believe OCT is a catalyst for interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. We anticipate a central, turnkey OCT facility will further broaden interaction, access and expertise of HQP across different disciplines. Applicants and CALM will establish a training and education program for a diverse user pool, furthering goals in equity, diversity, and inclusion. Our anticipated studies will generate insights into how human and model organisms accommodate physiological stress and aging, with a public health impact, as well as innovation of new structures in biomaterials to enhance biomonitoring in health (tissue scaffolds, disease testing) and environment (biofilms, toxin assays). Our HQP can open new avenues of investigation and contribute new expertise to commercial biomedical and engineering research and development. Inclusion in a campus facility will maximize HQP access, equipment lifespan and financial management.