EAGER: Ultraminiature Imaging Systems for Biomedical Applications

University Of Southern California, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

1053204 Tanguay The fundamental goal of this potentially transformative research project is to investigate the feasibility of ultracompact optical imaging systems for ultraminiature cameras designed for chronic surgical implantation in the human body, as well as for minimally invasive endoscopic examinations. Biomedical imaging applications of such ultraminiature cameras include chronically implantable cameras, ultraminiature endoscopes, an intraocular camera for retinal prostheses, a wide field-of-view eye-tracked extraocular camera for retinal prostheses, and a miniaturized eyetracking camera. The principal research activities enabled by this grant will include theoretical analysis, fabrication, and test of ultraminiature optical systems that are both compact and low-mass to allow for surgical implantation; the incorporation of optimized imaging capability in such highly miniaturized optical systems by means of ultra-small form factor refractive and hybrid refractive/diffractive optical elements; the investigation of design principles for the development of low power, low form factor CMOS image sensor arrays that are optimized for biomedical imaging applications, and the assessment by means of visual psychophysics techniques of the importance of pre- and post-image filtering of pixellated images for biomedical applications, in order to establish appropriate design constraints for these novel optical imaging systems.