The drive towards minimally invasive surgeries has signaled the need for more visualization tools for the surgeon to replace the loss of haptic feedback. There are currently several methods in the research pipeline using optical techniques, such as hyperspectral imaging, fluorescence, and bioluminescence imaging. To date, in vivo imaging such as endoscopy techniques has been qualitative and the most important metric is optimizing image contrast to aid the surgeon in clinical decision. But that is changing. The goal is now to be able to measure the extent of disease through measurement of chromophores conjugated to ligands designed to bind to the markers. The chromophores may be bioluminescent, fluorescent, or other optical discriminant that would boost the signal of the ligand. The in vivo quantitation requires radiometric measurements in a surgical platform, which is very difficult to perform correctly. This research project is the measurement science dedicated to this particular application-quantitative in vivo light imaging.

Our laboratory is an optical and radiometry laboratory equipped with tools for quantitative light measurements. We have lasers, cameras, tunable light sources, tunable filters, spectrometers, positioning equipment, and general tools necessary for optical imaging measurements. We also have a wet chemistry laboratory and a shared BSL2 laboratory, as well as image processing software and computational imaging tools. We have developed a network of clinical partners both in the immediate area and other states.

The postdoctoral project can be in assembling prototype imagers for deployment to a clinic, purely measurement science in support of clinical imaging, data collection in partnership with a clinic, image processing of collected image data from several ongoing projects.

 

key words

Color contrast; Diagnostic lighting; Hyperspectral imaging; Luminance contrast; Surgical lighting; Tissue spectroscopy; Tunable light; Fluorescence molecular imaging; Bioluminescence imaging; In vivo imaging; Oximetric imaging; Precision medicine; Targeted therapeutics;

Citizenship:  Open to U.S. citizens

Level:  Open to Postdoctoral applicants