Computer Model will Revolutionize in Vivo Optical Diagnostics and Laser Surgery
Dynamic range, high sensitivity and high quantum efficiency of Andor iDus Deep Depletion CCD camera vital in verifying computer model
Belfast, UK: The recent emergence of in vivo optical imaging probes holds out the promise of rapid, inexpensive, and non-invasive medical screening and diagnostics for a wide range of diseases. These advances in optical spectroscopic characterisation are also critical for the success of laser surgery where it is essential to know exactly the laser fluence delivered to a specific organ and the optimal laser excitation conditions for maximum tissue probing depth.
Now, an international team led by Igor Meglinski and Vladislav Yakovlev has developed a computer model for assessing tissue transmission spectra that will revolutionise the identification of favourable conditions for optical diagnostics and laser surgery. The team also believes it can play a vital role in the successful deployment of facial recognition security systems.
To build and verify the computer model, Georgi Petrov of the BME Department at Texas A&M University measured transmission rates for different parts of the human body in the 500 to 950 nm spectral range, using an Andor iDus Deep Depletion CCD camera. "We needed high sensitivity, both in the VIS and NIR regions, and a deep depletion CCD to avoid all the etalonning effects that would affect our measurements. We chose Andor's iDus-401 BR-DD because it offered high quantum efficiency in the near infrared with zero etalonning combined with a high dynamic range and good detector linearity."
According to Antoine Varagnat, Product Specialist at Andor, "We have witnessed accelerating interest in non-invasive optical screening systems over the last few years. For instance, a joint US-Dutch team led by Anita Mahadevan-Jansen and Takashi Nagaoka's Japanese team have both used Andor detectors, a Deep-Depletion iDus CCD for Raman spectroscopy and an iXon EMCCD for Reflectance Spectroscopy respectively, to power their experimental probes for malignant melanoma and skin cancer screening".
"The work of Meglinski and Yakovlev, in discovering a way to model the functional properties of human skin and other tissues, opens up new ways to identify optimal conditions for optical diagnostics. Similarly, modelling optical variations associated with physiological changes, such as blood oxygenation, holds out the hope of novel, non-invasive techniques to monitor patients 24/7, especially those in intensive care."
Andor's modular Spectroscopy solutions encompass a wide range of high performance CCD, ICCD, EMCCD and InGaAs array detectors, as well as a comprehensive range of Research-grade spectrograph platforms. To learn more about the iDus camera series, please visit the Andor website [http://www.andor.com].
References
1. Georgi I. Petrov, Alexander Doronin, Harry T. Whelan, Igor Meglinski and Vladislav V. Yakovlev "Human tissue color as viewed in high dynamic range optical spectral transmission measurements", Biomedical Optics Express Vol 3, No 9: 2154-2161 (2012)
About Andor
Andor is a world leader in Scientific Imaging, Spectroscopy Solutions and Microscopy Systems. Established in 1989 from Queen's University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Andor Technology now employs over 300 people in 16 offices worldwide, distributing its portfolio of over 70 products to 10,000 customers in 55 countries.
Andor's digital cameras, designed and manufactured using pioneering techniques developed in-house, allow scientists around the world to measure light down to a single photon and capture events occurring within 1 billionth of a second. This unique capability is helping them push back the boundaries of knowledge in fields as diverse as drug discovery, toxicology analysis, medical diagnosis, food quality testing and solar energy research. More information about Andor Technology PLC (LSE: AND) is available at the company's website [www.andor.com].
For further information, please contact Andor Technology direct or their marketing agency, Catalyst Communications.
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