Image Research Articles

ANALYSIS OF OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY DATA IN PATIENTS WITH VARIOUS VARIANTS OF THE GLAUCOMA PROCESS

Today, about 537 million people in the world aged 20 to 79 suffer from diabetes mellitus, in 3% of cases neovascular glaucoma is diagnosed, threatening vision loss. Neovascular glaucoma is one of the most aggressive forms of secondary glaucomas and is often refractory to standard treatment methods. In domestic and foreign literature, there is no single standard for choosing the tactics of surgical treatment of patients with neovascular glaucoma against the background of diabetic retinopathy. In this regard, studies aimed at studying the morphofunctional parameters of eyes with neovascular glaucoma against the background of diabetic retinopathy acquire not only theoretical but also obvious practical interest. In the course of further development of methods for complex effects on eye structures to reduce intraocular pressure and progression of the glaucoma process. An analysis of optical coherence tomography images of 51 patients (51 eyes) was conducted, and the main aspects were identified for further use in choosing the tactics of surgical intervention.

Fabrication, characterization, and 3D printing of high-internal phase Pickering emulsion stabilized by heat-treated copra protein and calcium composite.

HCP-Ca nanoparticles were prepared by incorporating varying concentrations of CaCl2 into heated copra protein (HCP). The results showed a positive correlation between Ca2+ concentration and turbidity, indicating greater HCP aggregation with increasing Ca2+ levels. Microscopy analysis revealed that HCP-Ca nanoparticles had a rough surface morphology. Intermolecular forces such as disulfide bonds, hydrophobic interactions, and hydrogen bonds were key in the conformation of HCP aggregates, with calcium ions enhancing stability by forming salt bridges. HCP-Ca nanoparticle-based high internal phase Pickering emulsions (HIPPEs) were also fabricated using homogenization-centrifugation treatment. The nanoparticles showed contact angles of 87.8° to 98.3°, particle sizes between 80.42 and 80.95 nm, and the HIPPEs had zeta potentials ranging from -23 to -39 mV. The addition of Ca2+ enhanced stability by forming salt bridges, reducing particle size, and altering size distributions. Rheological and texture analysis showed that Ca2+ addition significantly improved the viscoelasticity of HCP-Ca nanoparticle-based HIPPEs, as well as increasing hardness and adhesiveness. Optical microscopy and magnetic imaging techniques revealed details about emulsion formation and oil-water distribution in HCP-Ca nanoparticle-based HIPPEs. The excellent printing stability and structural versatility of HCP-Ca nanoparticle-based HIPPEs allowed the formation of complex 3D structures, offering a valuable approach for fabricating processable and editable HIPPEs from waste materials. This paper aims to develop a food-grade copra protein-based Pickering HIPPE and explore differences in fabrication methods, providing new insights into the design of innovative Pickering stabilizers.

Trop2-Targeted Molecular Imaging in Solid Tumors: Current Advances and Future Outlook.

Trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (Trop2), a transmembrane glycoprotein, plays a dual role in physiological and pathological processes. In healthy tissues, Trop2 facilitates development and orchestrates intracellular calcium signaling. However, its overexpression in numerous solid tumors shifts its function toward driving cell proliferation and metastasis, thus leading to a poor prognosis. The clinical relevance of Trop2 is underscored by its utility as both a biomarker for diagnostic imaging and a target for therapy. Notably, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved sacituzumab govitecan (SG), a novel Trop2-targeted agent, for treating triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and refractory urothelial cancer, highlighting the significance of Trop2 in clinical oncology. Molecular imaging, a powerful tool for visualizing and quantifying biological phenomena at the molecular and cellular levels, has emerged as a critical technique for studying Trop2. This approach encompasses various modalities, including optical imaging, positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and targeted antibodies labeled with radioactive isotopes. Incorporating Trop2-targeted molecular imaging into clinical practice is vital for the early detection, prognostic assessment, and treatment planning of a broad spectrum of solid tumors. Our review captures the latest progress in Trop2-targeted molecular imaging, focusing on both diagnostic and therapeutic applications across diverse tumor types, including lung, breast, gastric, pancreatic, prostate, and cervical cancers, as well as salivary gland carcinomas. We critically evaluate the current state by examining the relevant applications, diagnostic accuracy, therapeutic efficacy, and inherent limitations. Finally, we analyze the challenges impeding widespread clinical application and offer insights into strategies for advancing the field, thereby guiding future research endeavors.

Machine learning enabled fast optical identification and characterization of 2D materials.

Two-dimensional materials are a class of atomically thin materials with assorted electronic and quantum properties. Accurate identification of layer thickness, especially for a single monolayer, is crucial for their characterization. This characterization process, however, is often time-consuming, requiring highly skilled researchers and expensive equipment like atomic force microscopy. This project aims to streamline the identification process by using machine learning to analyze optical images and quickly determine layer thickness. In this paper, we evaluate the performance of three machine learning models - SegNet, 1D U-Net, and 2D U-Net- in accurately identifying monolayers in microscopic images. Additionally, we explore labeling and image processing techniques to determine the most effective and accessible method for identifying layer thickness in this class of materials.

Foundation models for fast, label-free detection of glioma infiltration.

A critical challenge in glioma treatment is detecting tumour infiltration during surgery to achieve safe maximal resection1-3. Unfortunately, safely resectable residual tumour is found in the majority of patients with glioma after surgery, causing early recurrence and decreased survival4-6. Here we present FastGlioma, a visual foundation model for fast (<10 s) and accurate detection of glioma infiltration in fresh, unprocessed surgical tissue. FastGlioma was pretrained using large-scale self-supervision (around 4 million images) on rapid, label-free optical microscopy, and fine-tuned to output a normalized score that indicates the degree of tumour infiltration within whole-slide optical images. In a prospective, multicentre, international testing cohort of patients with diffuse glioma (n = 220), FastGlioma was able to detect and quantify the degree of tumour infiltration with an average area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 92.1 ± 0.9%. FastGlioma outperformed image-guided and fluorescence-guided adjuncts for detecting tumour infiltration during surgery by a wide margin in a head-to-head, prospective study (n = 129). The performance of FastGlioma remained high across diverse patient demographics, medical centres and diffuse glioma molecular subtypes as defined by the World Health Organization. FastGlioma shows zero-shot generalization to other adult and paediatric brain tumour diagnoses, demonstrating the potential for our foundation model to be used as a general-purpose adjunct for guiding brain tumour surgeries. These findings represent the transformative potential of medical foundation models to unlock the role of artificial intelligence in the care of patients with cancer.

Retraction Note: Intravascular optical imaging for early detection of coronary artery disease in asymptomatic patients

Retraction Note: Intravascular optical imaging for early detection of coronary artery disease in asymptomatic patients

Abstract 4136597: Atherosclerotic plaque healing as a marker of plaque vulnerability: Insight from intracoronary polarization-sensitive optical frequency domain imaging

Background: Collagen is the major extracellular matrix that imparts mechanical strength to fibrous caps covering fibroatheromas. Intracoronary polarimetry with polarization-sensitive (PS) optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI) measures polarization properties, such as birefringence and depolarization (Figure 1). Birefringence is elevated in collagen and collagen-synthesizing smooth muscle cells, while depolarization is increased by the presence of macrophages and lipid/necrotic cores. Purpose: This study aimed to investigate polarimetric signatures of coronary lesions with healed coronary plaques (HCP) in patients with ACS and chronic coronary syndrome (CCS). Furthermore, we aimed to investigate diagnostic value for birefringence and depolarization of ACS culprit lesions discriminating from CCS target lesions. Methods: We conducted a single center prospective registry of intracoronary PS-OFDI imaging in patients with coronary artery disease (n = 50). A total of 862 OFDI frames selected from culprit or target lesions were analyzed. Coronary plaque phenotypes were assessed using conventional OFDI imaging. HCP was defined as plaques with one or more layers of different optical density and a clear demarcation from underlying components on intensity images. Birefringence and depolarization of the newer intima was measured in cross-sectional images. Birefringence and depolarization of ACS- and CCS-lesions were compared using a generalized estimating equation model. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to investigate the diagnostic performance of polarimetric signatures for identifying ACS-lesions. Results: Compared to CCS-lesions, ACS-lesions featured significantly higher lipid-burden index and maximum lipid arc (both p &lt; 0.05). Compared to the CCS-lesions, ACS-lesions exhibited significantly lower birefringence (p &lt; 0.05) and higher depolarization (p &lt; 0.05). In the ROC analysis for differentiating ACS-lesions from CCS-lesions, area under the curves (AUC) for birefringence and depolarization were 0.712 and 0.672, respectively. In the multivariable ROC analysis in diagnosing ACS lesions, combination of birefringence with depolarization improved the AUC to 0.755 (p ＝ 0.025). Conclusions: Intracoronary polarimetry provides quantitative assessment of plaque composition in patients. Further research is warranted to investigate whether birefringence can serve as a marker of healing failure following plaque rupture and erosion.

Long-term optical imaging of the spinal cord in awake behaving mice.

Advances in optical imaging and fluorescent biosensors enable study of the spatiotemporal and long-term neural dynamics in the brain of awake animals. However, methodological difficulties and fibrosis limit similar advances in the spinal cord. Here, to overcome these obstacles, we combined in vivo application of fluoropolymer membranes that inhibit fibrosis, a redesigned implantable spinal imaging chamber and improved motion correction methods that together permit imaging of the spinal cord in awake behaving mice, for months to over a year. We demonstrated a robust ability to monitor axons, identified a spinal cord somatotopic map, performed months-long imaging in freely moving mice, conducted Ca2+ imaging of neural dynamics in behaving mice responding to pain-provoking stimuli and observed persistent microglial changes after nerve injury. The ability to couple in vivo imaging and behavior at the spinal cord level will drive insights not previously possible at a key location for somatosensory transmission to the brain.

Nanosilver-Enhanced Far-Field Fluorescence Fluctuations for Super-Resolution Microscopy.

Fluctuation-based super-resolution microscopy enhances image resolution using signal fluctuations, yet the inherent fluctuations of fluorophores limit its spatiotemporal resolution. In this work, we reveal a far-field enhancement (FFE) effect via a nanosilver film that significantly boosts fluorescence fluctuations of fluorophores positioned up to 10 μm away. The FFE effect arises from the interference of scattered light from the nanosilver film and photothermal-induced refractive index changes in the imaging medium, which create periodic auxiliary illumination on the sample. This phenomenon enabled the development of far-field enhanced super-resolution microscopy (FFE-SRM), a technique compatible with commonly used fluorophores. FFE-SRM improves temporal resolution up to 10-fold and enhances spatial resolution by about 2-fold over various SRM methods, including stochastic optical fluctuation imaging, super-resolution radial fluctuation, mean-shift super-resolution, and direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy. We demonstrated the potential of FFE-SRM by revealing mitochondrial dynamics in live-cell imaging, advancing super-resolution imaging, and cellular process exploration.

Managing Residual Heat Effects in Femtosecond Laser Material Processing by Pulse-on-Demand Operation

Femtosecond laser processing combines highly accurate structuring with low residual heating of materials, low thermal damage, and nonlinear absorption processes, making it suitable for the machining of transparent brittle materials. However, with high average powers and laser pulse repetition rates, residual heating becomes relevant. Here, we present a study of the femtosecond laser pulse-on-demand operation regime, combined with regular scanners, aiming to improve throughput and quality of processing regardless of the scanner’s capabilities. We developed two methods to define the needed pulse-on-demand trigger sequences that compensate for the initial accelerating scanner movements. The effects of pulse-on-demand operation were studied in detail using direct process monitoring with a fast thermal camera and indirect process monitoring with optical and topographical surface imaging of final structures, both showing clear advantages of pulse-on-demand operation in precision, thermal effects, and structure shape control. The ability to compensate for irregular scanner movement is the basis for simplified, cheaper, and faster femtosecond laser processing of brittle and heat-susceptible materials.

CREST: a Climate Data Record of Stratospheric Aerosols

Abstract. Climate-related studies need information about the distribution of stratospheric aerosols, which influence the energy balance of the Earth's atmosphere. In this work, we present a merged dataset of vertically resolved stratospheric aerosol extinction coefficients, which is derived using data from six limb and occultation satellite instruments: SAGE (Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment) II on ERBS (Earth Radiation Budget Satellite), GOMOS (Global Ozone Monitoring by Occultation of Stars) and SCIAMACHY (Scanning Imaging Spectrometer for Atmospheric Chartography) on Envisat, OSIRIS (Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imaging System) on Odin, OMPS (Ozone Monitor Profiling Suite Limb Profiler) on Suomi NPP, and SAGE III on the ISS (International Space Station). The merging of aerosol profiles is performed via the transformation of the aerosol datasets from individual satellite instruments to the same wavelength (750 nm) and their de-biasing and homogenization by adjusting the seasonal cycles. After such homogenization, the data from individual satellite instruments are in good agreement. The merged aerosol extinction coefficient is computed as the median of the adjusted data from the individual instruments. The merged time series of vertically resolved monthly mean aerosol extinction coefficients at 750 nm is provided in 10° latitudinal bins from 90° S to 90° N, in the altitude range from 8.5 to 39.5 km. The time series of the stratospheric aerosol optical depth (SAOD) is created via the integration of aerosol extinction profiles from the tropopause to 39.5 km; it is also provided as monthly mean data in 10° latitudinal bins. The created aerosol climate record covers the period from October 1984 until December 2023, and it is intended to be extended in the future. The merged CREST aerosol dataset (v2) is available at https://doi.org/10.57707/fmib2share.dfe14351fd8548bcaca3c2956b17f665 (Sofieva et al., 2024a). It can be used in various climate-related studies.

Abstract 4139162: Optical coherence tomography measures mechanical contractile properties of the beating murine heart

Introduction: Optical imaging techniques can characterize properties of tissue at high temporal and spatial resolution, offering unique insights into electrically excitable tissues such as nerve and muscle. We hypothesized that the gated high-speed optical coherence tomography (OCT) could profile the contractile properties of mouse myocardial tissue and facilitate investigations of microscale mechanical function in the beating heart. Methods: C57BL/6 male mice (n=6) underwent a sternotomy while anesthetized and ventilated and were imaged at baseline with OCT. Another cohort of C57BL/6 male mice (n=6) were sacrificed and the hearts were ex vivo perfused with crystalloid using a Langendorff system. These hearts were imaged at baseline and after inhibition of contractile function with blebbistatin. OCT was performed using a custom tissue stabilizer and a Thorlabs TEL 321 OCT system, which was synchronized to physiologic signals using custom hardware and software and cardiac pacing protocols (Fig. 1A and 1B). OCT cross-sectional B-scan images (Fig. 1C) were obtained throughout multiple cardiac cycles in both in vivo and ex vivo preparations. Data were processed in MATLAB and ImageJ using the workflow in Fig. 1D. Results: Highly reproducible cross-sectional mean intensity changes were observed over the contractile cycle in vivo and ex vivo (Fig. 1E, left and middle). With mechanical contraction inhibited by blebbistatin, this cyclical intensity extinguished, linking the optical scattering change measured by OCT to myocardial contraction (Fig. 1E, right). B-scan curves averaged over multiple mice and temporally aligned with the ECG waveform (Fig. 1F) demonstrate a signal intensity waveform that reproducibly varies with the contractile cycle for both in vivo and ex vivo preparations. In vivo and ex vivo baseline waveforms both had peak intensity during systole and minimum in end-diastole (Fig. 1F). Reproducibility in ex vivo beating heart preparations without blood perfusion provides evidence that myocardial mechanical properties, not red blood cell flow, generate the intensity changes. Conclusion: Gated high-speed OCT imaging can quantify the mechanical contraction wave in the myocardium. Combined with gated OCT angiography, OCT techniques will provide high resolution imaging of both blood flow and mechanical contractility of the beating heart in small animal models of heart disease.

NIR‐II Anti‐Stokes Luminescence Nanocrystals with 1710 nm Excitation for in vivo Bioimaging

AbstractAnti‐Stokes luminescence (ASL) based on lanthanide nanocrystals holds immense promise for in vivo optical imaging and bio‐detection, which benefits from filtered autofluorescence. However, the current longest emission and excitation wavelengths of lanthanide ASL system were shorter than 1200 nm and 1532 nm, respectively, which limited tissue penetration depth and caused low signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) of in vivo imaging due to tissue scattering and water absorption. In this work, we extended the excitation wavelength to 1710 nm with the second near‐infrared (NIR‐II, 1000–1700 nm) emission up to 1650 nm through a novel ASL nanocrystal LiYF4 : 10 %Tm@LiYF4 : 70 %Er@LiYF4. Compared with 1532 nm excited ASL nanoprobes, the 1710 nm excited nanocrystals could improve in vivo imaging SNR by 12.72 folds. Based on this excellent imaging performance of the proposed ASL nanoprobes, three‐channel in vivo dynamic multiplexed imaging was achieved, which quantitatively revealed metabolic rates of intestinal dynamics and liver enrichment under anesthetized and awake states. This innovative ASL nanoprobes and dynamic multiplexed imaging technology would be conducive to optimizing dosing regimen and treatment plans across various physiological conditions.

Reproducibility and stability of voluntary deep inspiration breath hold and free breath in breast radiotherapy based on real-time 3-dimensional optical surface imaging system.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the inter-fraction reproducibility and intra-fraction stability of breast radiotherapy using voluntary deep-inspiration breath hold (DIBH) and free breathing (FB) based on an optical surface imaging system (OSIS). Seventeen patients (510 breath-hold sessions) treated using a field-in-field (FiF) technique and twenty patients (600 breath-free sessions) treated with a volume-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) technique were included in this retrospective study. All the patients were positioned with the guidance of CBCT and OSIS, and also monitored with OSIS throughout the whole treatment session. Eight setup variations in three directions were extracted from the treatment reports of OSIS for all sessions and were subsequently manually introduced to treatment plans, resulting in a total of 296 perturbed plans. All perturbed plans were recalculated, and the dose volume histograms (DVH) for the target and organs at risk (OAR) were analyzed. The OSIS and CBCT for both DIBH and FB treatments showed a good agreement of less than 0.30cm in each direction. The intra-fraction respiratory motion data during DIBH were -0.06 ± 0.07cm, 0.12 ± 0.15cm, and 0.12 ± 0.12cm in the lateral, longitudinal, and vertical directions, respectively; for FB, the respiratory motion data were -0.02 ± 0.12cm, 0.08 ± 0.18cm, and 0.14 ± 0.20cm, respectively. For the target, DIBH plans were more sensitive to setup errors; the mean deviations in D95 for CTV were 39.78Gy-40.17Gy for DIBH and 38.46Gy-40.52Gy for FB, respectively. For the OARs, the mean deviations of V10, V20, and Dmean to the heart; V5, V20, and Dmean to the ipsilateral lung; and Dmean to the breast were lower for the FB plan compared with the DIBH plan. Based on OSIS, our results indicate that both DIBH and FB can provide good reproducibility in the inter-fractions and stability in the intra-fractions. When the patient respiratory motion is large, the FB technology has greater possibility for the undercoverage of the target volume, while DIBH technology is more likely to result in increases in dose to OARs (the lung, heart, and contralateral breast).

Ultra-security optical image encryption using speckles through a multi-mode fiber

To realize optical image encryption for long-distance transmission while considering its security performance, an optical image encryption scheme is proposed in this paper. In the scheme, the pixel information of the plaintext image is first encoded by orbital angular momentum (OAM) holograms; then, the information-coded OAM beam is transmitted through a 1 km multimode fiber to generate speckles as ciphertexts for encryption; and finally, a pre-trained deep learning model capable of learning the relationship between the output speckles and the input information-coded OAM modes is used for decryption. The proposed scheme is not only able to achieve high fidelity recovered image but also a remarkable level of security. The high security stems from the combined use of three keys: the order key, the model key, and the coder key, during optical encryption. The image can therefore only be decrypted by authorized users who simultaneously know the three keys. We have experimentally demonstrated the high fidelity and high security encryption/decryption capabilities. Our work can provide a promising avenue for further research into long-distance optical image transmission and encryption with ultra-high security.

Mapping Rice Paddy Areas in Nueva Ecija Using Temporal Sentinel -1 SAR Imagery

Abstract. Remote Sensing is proven to be helpful in various ways, and for an agricultural country like the Philippines, mapping in farmlands is not that common. Using the Sentinel 1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data, the study reveals rice paddy classification brought by supervised machine learning on the municipality of Guimba, in Nueva Ecija - the Rice Bowl Capital of the country. The study in Guimba, Nueva Ecija, addresses the absence of comprehensive rice classification studies, focusing on creating a classified rice paddy map and assessing spectral indices (NDMI, NDVI, NDWI) using synthetic aperture radar and optical imager. Results show successful differentiation between rice and non-rice paddies. Temporal analysis emphasizes monitoring water availability, soil moisture, and vegetation health. Despite signs of overprediction in the CART model, its effectiveness in mapping rice paddies is notable. The spatial distribution maps contribute to targeted monitoring, enabling efficient interventions and improved agricultural practices. This research highlights the inherent use of remote sensing in rice crop management, offering valuable insights for farmers and country's food security.

Femtosecond Laser-Induced Recrystallized Nanotexturing for Identity Document Security With Physical Unclonable Functions.

Counterfeit identity (ID) documents pose a serious threat to personal credit and national security. As a promising candidate, optical physical unclonable functions (PUFs) offer a robust defense mechanism against counterfeits. Despite the innovations in chemically synthesized PUFs, challenges persist, including harmful chemical treatments, low yields, and incompatibility of reaction conditions with the ID document materials. More notably, surface relief nanostructures for PUFs, such as wrinkles, are still at risk of being replicated through scanning lithography or nanoimprint. Here, a femtosecond laser-induced recrystallized silicon nanotexture is reported as latent PUF nanofingerprint for document anti-counterfeiting. With femtosecond laser irradiation, nanotextures spontaneously emerge within 100ms of exposure. By introducing a low-absorption metal layer, surface plasmon polariton waves are excited on the silicon-metal multilayer nanofilms with long-range boosting, ensuring the uniqueness and non-replicability of the final nanotextures. Furthermore, the femtosecond laser induces a phase transition in the latent nanotexture from amorphous to polycrystalline state, rather than creating replicable relief wrinkles. The random nanotextures are easily identifiable through optical microscopy and Raman imaging, yet they remain undetectable by surface characterization methods such as scanning electron and atomic force microscopies. This property significantly hinders counterfeiting efforts, as it prevents the precise replication of these nanostructures.

Accurate Layer-Number Determination of Hexagonal Boron Nitride Using Optical Characterization.

Precise determination of the layer number (N) of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is crucial for its integration with other layered materials in applications such as ferroelectric devices and moiré potential modulation. We present a nondestructive method to accurately identify N, combining optical contrast analysis with second harmonic generation (SHG) measurements. By studying the flakes on 90 nm thick SiO2/Si substrates, we demonstrate that red-filtered optical images provide a clear contrast step in N with an uncertainty of ±1 layer, while SHG measurements further reduce the error by distinguishing even and odd layers. We also introduce a real-time detection technique to identify monolayer and few-layer hBN, improving flake identification efficiency. Given the growing interest in twisted hBN interfaces and their integration in van der Waals heterostructures, this method offers a practical approach for future studies.

NIR-II Anti-Stokes Luminescence Nanocrystals with 1710 nm Excitation for in vivo Bioimaging.

Anti-Stokes luminescence (ASL) based on lanthanide nanocrystals holds immense promise for in vivo optical imaging and bio-detection, which benefits from filtered autofluorescence. However, the current longest emission and excitation wavelengths of lanthanide ASL system were shorter than 1200 nm and 1532 nm, respectively, which limited tissue penetration depth and caused low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of in vivo imaging due to tissue scattering and water absorption. In this work, we extended the excitation wavelength to 1710 nm with the second near-infrared (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm) emission up to 1650 nm through a novel ASL nanocrystal LiYF4 : 10 %Tm@LiYF4 : 70 %Er@LiYF4. Compared with 1532 nm excited ASL nanoprobes, the 1710 nm excited nanocrystals could improve in vivo imaging SNR by 12.72 folds. Based on this excellent imaging performance of the proposed ASL nanoprobes, three-channel in vivo dynamic multiplexed imaging was achieved, which quantitatively revealed metabolic rates of intestinal dynamics and liver enrichment under anesthetized and awake states. This innovative ASL nanoprobes and dynamic multiplexed imaging technology would be conducive to optimizing dosing regimen and treatment plans across various physiological conditions.

Custom chromatic confocal microscope for surface profilometry

In this work, a surface profiling system is introduced, employing a custom-designed chromatic confocal (CC) distance sensor. Today’s commercial sensors based on the CC principle have a major drawback of effectively coupling light from the illumination source into the optical imaging system, mainly due to etendue mismatch. Consequently, a substantial amount of light is lost, significantly reducing the overall SNR of the system. This limitation restricts its applicability primarily to highly reflective surfaces. To address this issue, an etendue-matched optical system is proposed, that incorporates an innovative superluminescent light source. Through this approach, the system achieves 4 orders of magnitudes higher illumination intensity concentrated within the focus spot compared to existing devices in the current market.