MEMS Technology for Biomedical Imaging Applications

Biomedical imaging is the key technique and process to create informative images of the human body or other organic structures for clinical purposes or medical science. Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology has demonstrated enormous potential in biomedical imaging applications due to its outstanding advantages of, for instance, miniaturization, high speed, higher resolution, and convenience of batch fabrication. There are many advancements and breakthroughs developing in the academic community, and there are a few challenges raised accordingly upon the designs, structures, fabrication, integration, and applications of MEMS for all kinds of biomedical imaging. This Special Issue aims to collate and showcase research papers, short commutations, perspectives, and insightful review articles from esteemed colleagues that demonstrate: (1) original works on the topic of MEMS components or devices based on various kinds of mechanisms for biomedical imaging; and (2) new developments and potentials of applying MEMS technology of any kind in biomedical imaging. The objective of this special session is to provide insightful information regarding the technological advancements for the researchers in the community

Nanoprobes for Tumor Theranostics

This book reports cutting-edge technology in nanoprobes or nanobiomaterials used for the accurate diagnosis and therapy of tumors, involving a multidisciplinary of chemistry, materials science, oncology, biology, and medicine

Optical Microring Resonators for Photoacoustic Imaging and Detection.

This work is to utilize the superior characteristics of polymer microring resonators in ultrasound detection to push the application of photoacoustic imaging to an entirely new level. We first demonstrated significantly improved imaging quality for photoacoustic tomography (PAT) using microring detectors. For wideband PAT, the microring detectors were able to faithfully detect both the boundaries and the inner structure, while piezoelectric detectors can only preserve one of the two aspects. For high-resolution PAT over a large imaging area, we imaged 50 µm black beads and found that microrings produced high-resolution imaging over a 16-mm-diameter imaging area while the 500 µm piezoelectric detectors only obtained high-resolution imaging over a small area around center. Pure optical photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) has been demonstrated. Microring ultrasonic resonators were applied in in vivo photoacoustic imaging for the first time. Good imaging signal-to-noise ratio and high axial resolution of 8 µm were calibrated. As a comparison, a commercial hydrophone with similar sensitivity produced a low axial resolution of 105 µm. A 5 mm miniaturized probe consisting of a fiber to deliver excitation laser pulses and microring detectors for ultrasound detection has been fabricated for photoacoustic endoscopy. The calibrated high radial resolution of 21 µm was higher than other types of endoscopic photoacoustic probes, around 40 µm or larger. A photoacoustic correlation spectroscopy (PACS) technique was proposed. In a proof-of-concept experiment, we demonstrated low-speed flow measurement of ~15 µm/s by the PACS technique. We also demonstrated in vivo flow speed measurement of red blood cells in capillaries in a chick embryo model by PACS. Other techniques might have difficulties to measure it due to the low signal contrast and/or poor resolutions. We also proposed terahertz electromagnetic pulse detection by photoacoustic method. We used carbon nanotube composites as efficient photoacoustic transmitters and microrings as sensitive detectors. The photoacoustic method provides low-cost and real-time terahertz detection (~µs), which is difficult by conventional terahertz detectors, such as a bolometer or a pyroelectric detector.Ph.D.Electrical EngineeringUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91497/1/chensll_1.pd

Review on Photomicrography based Full Blood Count (FBC) Testing and Recent Advancements

With advancements in related sub-fields, research on photomicrography in life science is emerging and this is a review on its application towards human full blood count testing which is a primary test in medical practices. For a prolonged period of time, analysis of blood samples is the basis for bio medical observations of living creatures. Cell size, shape, constituents, count, ratios are few of the features identified using DIP based analysis and these features provide an overview of the state of human body which is important in identifying present medical conditions and indicating possible future complications. In addition, functionality of the immune system is observed using results of blood tests. In FBC tests, identification of different blood cell types and counting the number of cells of each type is required to obtain results. Literature discuss various techniques and methods and this article presents an insightful review on human blood cell morphology, photomicrography, digital image processing of photomicrographs, feature extraction and classification, and recent advances. Integration of emerging technologies such as microfluidics, micro-electromechanical systems, and artificial intelligence based image processing algorithms and classifiers with cell sensing have enabled exploration of novel research directions in blood testing applications.

Biological Lasers for Biomedical Applications

A biolaser utilizes biological materials as part of its gain medium and/or part of its cavity. It can also be a micro- or nanosized laser embedded/integrated within biological materials. The biolaser employs lasing emission rather than regular fluorescence as the sensing signal and therefore has a number of unique advantages that can be explored for broad applications in biosensing, labeling, tracking, contrast agent development, and bioimaging. This article reports on the progress in biolasers with focus on the work done in the past five years. In the end, the possible future directions of the biolaser are discussed.Biolasers and their applications in biology and biomedicine are reviewed in this progress report. The biolaser employs lasing emission rather than regular fluorescence as the sensing signal and therefore has a number of unique advantages that can be explored for broad applications in biosensing, labeling, tracking, contrast agent development, and bioimaging.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151258/1/adom201900377.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151258/2/adom201900377_am.pd

X-ray Radiation Enabled Cancer Detection And Treatment With Nanoparticles

Despite significant improvements in medical sciences over the last decade, cancer still continues to be a major cause of death in humans throughout the world. Parallel to the efforts of understanding the intricacies of cancer biology, researchers are continuously striving to develop effective cancer detection and treatment strategies. Use of nanotechnology in the modern era opens up a wide range of possibilities for diagnostics, therapies and preventive measures for cancer management. Although, existing strategies of cancer detection and treatment, using nanoparticles, have been proven successful in case of cancer imaging and targeted drug deliveries, they are often limited by poor sensitivity, lack of specificity, complex sample preparation efforts and inherent toxicities associated with the nanoparticles, especially in case of in-vivo applications. Moreover, the detection of cancer is not necessarily integrated with treatment. X-rays have long been used in radiation therapy to kill cancer cells and also for imaging tumors inside the body using nanoparticles as contrast agents. However, X-rays, in combination with nanoparticles, can also be used for cancer diagnosis by detecting cancer biomarkers and circulating tumor cells. Moreover, the use of nanoparticles can also enhance the efficacy of X-ray radiation therapy for cancer treatment. This dissertation describes a novel in vitro technique for cancer detection and treatment using X-ray radiation and nanoparticles. Surfaces of synthesized metallic nanoparticles have been modified with appropriate ligands to specifically target cancer cells and biomarkers in vitro. Characteristic X-ray fluorescence signals from the X-ray irradiated nanoparticles are then used for detecting the presence of cancer. The method enables simultaneous detection of multiple iv cancer biomarkers allowing accurate diagnosis and early detection of cancer. Circulating tumor cells, which are the primary indicators of cancer metastasis, have also been detected where the use of magnetic nanoparticles allows enrichment of rare cancer cells prior to detection. The approach is unique in that it integrates cancer detection and treatment under one platform, since, X-rays have been shown to effectively kill cancer cells through radiation induced DNA damage. Due to high penetrating power of X-rays, the method has potential applications for in vivo detection and treatment of deeply buried cancers in humans. The effect of nanoparticle toxicity on multiple cell types has been investigated using conventional cytotoxicity assays for both unmodified nanoparticles as well as nanoparticles modified with a variety of surface coatings. Appropriate surface modifications have significantly reduced inherent toxicity of nanoparticles, providing possibilities for future clinical applications. To investigate cellular damages caused by X-ray radiation, an on-chip biodosimeter has been fabricated based on three dimensional microtissues which allows direct monitoring of responses to X-ray exposure for multiple mammalian cell types. Damage to tumor cells caused by X-rays is known to be significantly higher in presence of nanoparticles which act as radiosensitizers and enhance localized radiation doses. An analytical approach is used to investigate the various parameters that affect the radiosensitizing properties of the nanoparticles. The results can be used to increase the efficacy of nanoparticle aided X-ray radiation therapy for cancer treatment by appropriate choice of X-ray beam energy, nanoparticle size, material composition and location of nanoparticle with respect to the tumor cell nucleus

Optical Methods in Sensing and Imaging for Medical and Biological Applications

The recent advances in optical sources and detectors have opened up new opportunities for sensing and imaging techniques which can be successfully used in biomedical and healthcare applications. This book, entitled ‘Optical Methods in Sensing and Imaging for Medical and Biological Applications’, focuses on various aspects of the research and development related to these areas. The book will be a valuable source of information presenting the recent advances in optical methods and novel techniques, as well as their applications in the fields of biomedicine and healthcare, to anyone interested in this subject

Biosensing and Bioimaging

Biosensing and bioimaging techniques largely promote the accurate diagnosis of intractable diseases, such as cancers, on the basis of specific molecular targets, or as-called biomarkers. To realize the assays with ultrahigh sensitivity and selectivity, the wide application of molecular biology and nanotechnology are of great necessity. Both directions may offer effective signal amplification strategies, as well as inhibition of cross-reaction interference. Therefore, this Special Issue, “Biosensing and Bioimaging: Trends and Perspective”, highlights the recent developments in intelligent biomolecule/nanostructure-based probes for bioimaging and biosensing applications. It consists of five peer-reviewed papers that cover current hot topics, such as biodegradable materials, DNA assembly, shRNA delivery and chimeric proteins, which will provide a unique perspective of advanced biosensing and bioimaging techniques

Medical Imaging of Microrobots: Toward In Vivo Applications

Medical microrobots (MRs) have been demonstrated for a variety of non-invasive biomedical applications, such as tissue engineering, drug delivery, and assisted fertilization, among others. However, most of these demonstrations have been carried out in in vitro settings and under optical microscopy, being significantly different from the clinical practice. Thus, medical imaging techniques are required for localizing and tracking such tiny therapeutic machines when used in medical-relevant applications. This review aims at analyzing the state of the art of microrobots imaging by critically discussing the potentialities and limitations of the techniques employed in this field. Moreover, the physics and the working principle behind each analyzed imaging strategy, the spatiotemporal resolution, and the penetration depth are thoroughly discussed. The paper deals with the suitability of each imaging technique for tracking single or swarms of MRs and discusses the scenarios where contrast or imaging agent's inclusion is required, either to absorb, emit, or reflect a determined physical signal detected by an external system. Finally, the review highlights the existing challenges and perspective solutions which could be promising for future in vivo applications