Mobility for Growth within Biomedical Engineering: Pointwise and Imaging Optical Spectroscopy

Purpose and goal

The project aims at establishing a long-term collaboration within optical imaging spectroscopy with the Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic (BLIMC), Irvine, CA, USA. I have studied their innovative technology utilizing structured illumination. By illuminating tissue with a sinusoidal pattern with varying spatial frequency, the tissue constituents such as amount of blood and its oxygenation, can be estimated. I have developed such a system including hard- and software for research studies at Linköping University in collaboration with BLIMC.

Expected results and effects

An imaging spectroscopy system that is flexible in using either structured illumination or constant illumination (previously used at LiU), will be used in measurements on human skin in health and several diseases/ pathological states. The methods will be used complementarily and allow for a more accurate measurement as well as for monitoring rapidly changing physiological states. A long-term collaboration and knowledge exchange will lead to the development of more accurate and fast imaging spectroscopy systems.

Planned approach and implementation

During 2016 I participated in the imaging spectroscopy group at BLIMC, and took part in seminars, group meetings, and collaborated in laboratory work with other group members. By spending a considerable amount of time together, I learned from their technology and also shared my own and my research group’s knowledge. The relationship enabled me to develop my own structured illumination imaging system including hardware and analysis software. The project involved other members of my research group at LiU, who during the year visited BLIMC for knowledge exchange.