Boston Micromachines' Technology Advances New Achievements in Multi Photon Microscopy
WATERTOWN, Mass., May 7 / -- Boston Micromachines Corporation (BMC) today announced that its MEMS-based deformable mirror products have helped realize achievements in multi photon microscopy, an advanced optical technique that increases the imaging depth in living tissue. Boston University's Biomedical Engineering Biomicroscopy Lab has recently demonstrated high resolution images of biological tissue using BMC's deformable mirrors in their multi photon microscopy research.
BMC's deformable mirrors allow researchers to resolve images deeper into the tissue. Additionally, researchers will now be able to look at cells and cellular processes in their natural environment, in vivo, which is scientifically more interesting. These advances will pave the way for further progress in the study of neural disorders and various diseases.
Jerome Mertz, Ph.D. Professor at Boston University's Biomedical Engineering Biomicroscopy Lab uses BMC's deformable mirrors to reject multi photon fluorescence background in thick tissue. By modulating with a deformable mirror, he is able to better separate out-of-focus background from in-focus signal and generates a clearer image. These advanced subsurface imaging techniques will be used to study neural signaling processes.
"A better understanding of these neural processes will someday allow clinicians to more accurately diagnose and prescribe drug treatment for patients with neural disorders," said Boston University's Mertz.
Multi photon microscopy using Boston Micromachines deformable mirrors may also further research in the study of skin cancer as it provides benefits in two key areas. "Being able to see deeper into tissue will help the development of real-time histology techniques," continued Mertz. "And because you can monitor tissue health in-situ, this technique will hopefully help in the screening and diagnosis of skin cancer."
At the University of Oxford's Department of Engineering Science, Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow Martin Booth and Tony Wilson, Professor of Engineering Science, are leading research which uses BMC's deformable mirrors in adaptive optics for aberration correction in high resolution fluorescence microscopy. This work will extend into multi photon microscopy this summer.
"The best way to study cells is in their natural environment, not on a glass slide. As a technology that will extend the practical imaging depth in tissue, adaptive optics multi photon microscopy has significant potential for biomedical imaging," said Booth. "It will facilitate the studying of biological processes in vivo and aid clinical diagnosis by increasing the depth imaging capability of the microscope."
About Boston Micromachines Corporation
Founded in 1999, Boston Micromachines Corporation (BMC) is the leading provider of advanced microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) - based mirror products for use in commercial adaptive optics systems, applying wavefront correction to produce high resolution images of the human retina and enhance images blurred by the Earth's atmosphere. The company's suite of award- winning compact deformable mirror (DM) products are the most cost-effective, highest performance mirrors in the market today. They are widely used in vision science applications such as advanced optic retinal imaging, long range laser communications, and astronomy, including NASA's search for planets in other solar systems. Customers include leading manufacturers of optical imaging and communication systems, governmental agencies and contractors, and vision science research laboratories worldwide, including NASA, UCal Berkeley, Lockheed Martin and Boston University. Located in Watertown, Mass BMC is privately held and also offers custom designed manufacturing services. For more information on BMC, please visit www.bostonmicromachines.com/ .
Source: Boston Micromachines Corporation
CONTACT: Laura MacSweeney of Red Javelin Communications for Boston Micromachines Corporation, 781-395-6420, laura@redjavelin.com
Web site: www.bostonmicromachines.com/
