IDBR: Type A: Ultrahigh-Speed Space-Division Multiplexing Optical Coherence Tomography for Label-free and Non-destructive Biological Imaging

Lehigh University, Bethlehem PA

Investigators

Abstract

An award is made to Lehigh University to develop an ultrahigh speed, label-free and non-destructive imaging technology based on optical coherence tomography (OCT) for biological research. The ability to non-invasively generate ultrafast, in vivo, 3D, synchronized structural and functional images of biological samples with micron-scale resolutions will greatly advance biological research. Technologies developed in this program can be readily transferred and disseminated to other fields, such as tissue engineering, ophthalmology and cancer imaging. In addition, the research project is integrated with multidisciplinary education and outreach activities to train graduate and undergraduate students to solve real-life problems, and to stimulate the interests of college and K-12 students in pursuing a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The goal of the project is to develop further a space-division multiplexing OCT (SDM-OCT) technology in order to significantly improve OCT imaging speed through parallel imaging. This project will focus on developing new ultrafast functional imaging capabilities (e.g. Doppler) and optimized SDM components to facilitate broad dissemination. The utilities of SDM-OCT will be demonstrated in developmental biology/cardiology through collaboration at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. The SDM-OCT technology provides a new approach that can offer over an order of magnitude speed improvement for OCT without compromising image resolution and sensitivity. SDM-OCT also has favorable cost scalability, and allows synchronized cross-sectional and 3D imaging of intact tissue samples, enabling new biological applications.