Novel focused OCT-LIF endoscope

Combined optical coherence tomography (OCT) and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) endoscopy has shown higher sensitivity and specificity for distinguishing normal tissue from adenoma when compared to either modality alone. Endoscope optical design is complicated by the large wavelength difference between the two systems. A new high-resolution endoscope 2 mm in diameter is presented that can create focused beams from the ultraviolet to near-infrared. A reflective design ball lens operates achromatically over a large wavelength range, and employs TIR at two faces and reflection at a third internal mirrored face. The 1:1 imaging system obtains theoretically diffraction-limited spots for both the OCT (1300 nm) and LIF (325 nm) channels

Fiber-optic Raman probe couples ball lens for depth-selected Raman measurements of epithelial tissue

In this study, we present a fiber-optic ball lens Raman probe design for improving depth-selected Raman measurements of epithelial tissue. The Monte Carlo simulation results show that tissue Raman collection efficiency can be improved by properly selecting the refractive index and the diameter of the ball lens for the Raman probe design and the depth-selectivity of Raman measurements can also be improved by either increasing the refractive index or reducing the diameter of the ball lens. An appropriate arrangement of the Raman probe-tissue distance can also optimize the collection efficiency for depth-resolved Raman measurements. Experimental evaluation of a ball lens Raman probe design on a two-layer tissue phantom confirms the potential of the ball lens Raman probe design for efficient depth-selected measurement on epithelial tissue. This work suggests that the fiber-optic Raman probe coupled with a ball lens can facilitate the depth-selected Raman measurements of epithelial tissue, which may improve the diagnosis of epithelial precancer and early cancer at the molecular level

The Silence of Transparency: A Critical Analysis of the Relationship between the Organisational Salary Environment and the Gender and Gender/Ethnic Pay Gap in UK Higher Education

PhD thesisThe UK’s 2017 gender pay gap (GPG) reporting regulations furthered the growing pay ‘transparency agenda’ as a tool to end pay inequality. Yet, discussing one’s pay remains taboo. British universities have faced transparency pressure for years, but higher education’s (HE) GPG and gender/ethnic pay gap persist. To explore this puzzle, an original analytical framework is constructed, which builds upon Acker’s (2006a, 2006b) inequality regimes. The organisational salary environment (OSE) provides this analytical framework, to model the mutually constitutive influence of employer strategies, social norms, and employee behaviour on the capacity of pay transparency to reduce pay inequality. Critical analysis of the pay ‘transparency agenda’ performance inside two British universities involves a multi-layered, multi-strategy approach, including secondary earnings data, an original social pay comparison survey, semi-structured interviews with remuneration policy shapers, union representatives, and academics, alongside organisational pay (and related progression) policies. The empirical findings reveal for the first time that professors are 3.6 times more likely to discuss their pay than junior academics, whose pay is collectively bargained. The OSE analysis unveils a multi-dimensional ‘pay transparency’ paradox. There is a silence of transparency; pay transparency practices serve to legitimise processes that reinforce pay inequality and to individualise inequality concerns as anomalies because of the ‘transparent’ pay practises. The income-talk taboo reinforces managerial control, whilst ‘deviant’ social pay comparison is insufficient to overcome inequality-reinforcing hierarchical power structures. This thesis makes several original contributions, including modelling workplace pay transparency (mal)function through the OSE, which builds on Acker’s (2006a, 2006b) inequality regimes; empirically demonstrating pay discussion patterns and dynamics, filling a gap in the feminist sociological GPG literature by interrogating accepted practices and norms to unveil the ‘pay transparency’ paradox; and developing policy and pay setting implications to strengthen the pay ‘transparency agenda’, both within the UK’s HE sector and across the UK

Depth-selective fiber-optic probe for characterization of superficial tissue at a constant physical depth

The in vivo assessment of superficial tissue has shown great promise in many biomedical applications. Significant efforts have been expended in designing compact fiber-optic probes with short tissue penetration depth targeting the superficial epithelium. In this paper, we present a compact and simple two-channel fiber-optic probe with superior depth selectivity for the superficial tissue. This probe employs a high-index ball-lens with an optimized illumination area and the maximal overlap between light illumination and collection spots, while maintaining sufficient light collection efficiency with minimized specular reflection. Importantly, we show that this probe allows the selection of a constant and shallow physical penetration depth, insensitive to a wide range of tissue-relevant scattering coefficients and anisotropy factors. We demonstrate the capability of this depth-selective fiber-optic probe to accurately quantify the absorber concentration in superficial tissue without the distortion of tissue scattering properties; and characterize the optical properties of superficial skin tissue

In Vitro Evaluation of Fluorescence Glucose Biosensor Response

Rapid, accurate, and minimally-invasive glucose biosensors based on Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) for glucose measurement have the potential to enhance diabetes control. However, a standard set of in vitro approaches for evaluating optical glucose biosensor response under controlled conditions would facilitate technological innovation and clinical translation. Towards this end, we have identified key characteristics and response test methods, fabricated FRET-based glucose biosensors, and characterized biosensor performance using these test methods. The biosensors were based on competitive binding between dextran and glucose to concanavalin A and incorporated long-wavelength fluorescence dye pairs. Testing characteristics included spectral response, linearity, sensitivity, limit of detection, kinetic response, reversibility, stability, precision, and accuracy. The biosensor demonstrated a fluorescence change of 45% in the presence of 400 mg/dL glucose, a mean absolute relative difference of less than 11%, a limit of detection of 25 mg/dL, a response time of 15 min, and a decay in fluorescence intensity of 72% over 30 days. The battery of tests presented here for objective, quantitative in vitro evaluation of FRET glucose biosensors performance have the potential to form the basis of future consensus standards. By implementing these test methods for a long-visible-wavelength biosensor, we were able to demonstrate strengths and weaknesses with a new level of thoroughness and rigor

Evaluation of a fiberoptic-based system for measurement of optical properties in highly attenuating turbid media

BACKGROUND: Accurate measurements of the optical properties of biological tissue in the ultraviolet A and short visible wavelengths are needed to achieve a quantitative understanding of novel optical diagnostic devices. Currently, there is minimal information on optical property measurement approaches that are appropriate for in vivo measurements in highly absorbing and scattering tissues. We describe a novel fiberoptic-based reflectance system for measurement of optical properties in highly attenuating turbid media and provide an extensive in vitro evaluation of its accuracy. The influence of collecting reflectance at the illumination fiber on estimation accuracy is also investigated. METHODS: A neural network algorithm and reflectance distributions from Monte Carlo simulations were used to generate predictive models based on the two geometries. Absolute measurements of diffuse reflectance were enabled through calibration of the reflectance system. Spatially-resolved reflectance distributions were measured in tissue phantoms at 405 nm for absorption coefficients (μ(a)) from 1 to 25 cm(-1 )and reduced scattering coefficients ([Formula: see text]) from 5 to 25 cm(-1). These data and predictive models were used to estimate the optical properties of tissue-simulating phantoms. RESULTS: By comparing predicted and known optical properties, the average errors for μ(a )and [Formula: see text] were found to be 3.0% and 4.6%, respectively, for a linear probe approach. When bifurcated probe data was included and samples with μ(a )values less than 5 cm(-1 )were excluded, predictive errors for μ(a )and [Formula: see text] were further reduced to 1.8% and 3.5%. CONCLUSION: Improvements in system design have led to significant reductions in optical property estimation error. While the incorporation of a bifurcated illumination fiber shows promise for improving the accuracy of [Formula: see text] estimates, further study of this approach is needed to elucidate the source of discrepancies between measurements and simulation results at low μ(a )values

Criteria for the design of tissue-mimicking phantoms for the standardization of biophotonic instrumentation

A lack of accepted standards and standardized phantoms suitable for the technical validation of biophotonic instrumentation hinders the reliability and reproducibility of its experimental outputs. In this Perspective, we discuss general criteria for the design of tissue-mimicking biophotonic phantoms, and use these criteria and state-of-the-art developments to critically review the literature on phantom materials and on the fabrication of phantoms. By focusing on representative examples of standardization in diffuse optical imaging and spectroscopy, fluorescence-guided surgery and photoacoustic imaging, we identify unmet needs in the development of phantoms and a set of criteria (leveraging characterization, collaboration, communication and commitment) for the standardization of biophotonic instrumentation

Optical characterization of cutaneous transilluminators for eye safety

Cutaneous transilluminators are light-emitting devices used to localize blood vessels for various medical procedures. They are often used in populations that may be at increased risk for skin burns, such as neonates and the elderly. While there is a known potential for skin burns, little is known about the ophthalmic risk from the use of these devices. This paper will report on the laboratory evaluation of the potential ocular hazards from transilluminators (TIs). Our results indicate that transilluminators which incorporate white-light LEDs have emissions that have the potential for producing injury to the retina, especially in patients who may have a reduced aversion response

Retina-simulating phantom for optical coherence tomography.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a rapidly growing imaging modality, particularly in the field of ophthalmology. Accurate early diagnosis of diseases requires consistent and validated imaging performance. In contrast to more well-established medical imaging modalities, no standardized test methods currently exist for OCT quality assurance. We developed a retinal phantom which mimics the thickness and near-infrared optical properties of each anatomical retinal layer as well as the surface topography of the foveal pit. The fabrication process involves layer-by-layer spin coating of nanoparticle-embedded silicone films followed by laser micro-etching to modify the surface topography. The thickness of each layer and dimensions of the foveal pit are measured with high precision. The phantom is embedded into a commercially available, water-filled model eye to simulate ocular dispersion and emmetropic refraction, and for ease of use with clinical OCT systems. The phantom was imaged with research and clinical OCT systems to assess image quality and software accuracy. Our results indicate that this phantom may serve as a useful tool to evaluate and standardize OCT performance

Towards a realistic microscopic description of highway traffic

Simple cellular automata models are able to reproduce the basic properties of highway traffic. The comparison with empirical data for microscopic quantities requires a more detailed description of the elementary dynamics. Based on existing cellular automata models we propose an improved discrete model incorporating anticipation effects, reduced acceleration capabilities and an enhanced interaction horizon for braking. The modified model is able to reproduce the three phases (free-flow, synchronized, and stop-and-go) observed in real traffic. Furthermore we find a good agreement with detailed empirical single-vehicle data in all phases.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figure