Using Raman optical technology, scientists at the University of Twente in The Netherlands can now produce images of brain tissue that is affected by Alzheimer’s disease. The images include the surrounding areas that are already showing changes. […]
Researchers have developed the first instrument that will provide a detailed image of the entire eye. Incorporating a lens that changes optical parameters in response to electric currents, the radically new technology can produce higher quality images than currently available. Combining optical coherence tomography and [...]
Anyone that has ever landed in an emergency room with a broken bone, head injury, or been pregnant has been exposed to medical imaging technology, and is acutely aware of how important it can be. With medical imaging technology, lives have been saved when one [...]
Originally called ‘single-beam gradient force trap’, optical tweezers are scientific instruments that use a highly focused laser beam to provide an attractive, or repulsive force, depending on the refractive index mismatch to physically hold and move microscopic dielectric objects similar to tweezers. Optical tweezers have [...]
Currently, diagnosing Alzheimer’s relies largely on documentation of any mental decline. However, when diagnosing Alzheimer’s in this way, it has already caused severe brain damage in individuals. What if we could diagnose Alzheimer’s before symptoms started? It is increasingly clear that by the time a [...]
You may have seen it on CSI: The star examines hair from a crime scene and concludes its color or texture looks like the defendant’s hair, or maybe his dog’s. Case closed. But, looks can be deceiving, as well as vague and subjective. According to [...]
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a fundamentally new type of optical imaging modality. OCT is a non-invasive imaging test that uses light waves to take high-resolution, cross-section pictures of the retina, retinal nerve fiber layer, and the optic nerve head. OCT imaging is somewhat analogous [...]
Biophotonic technology plays a key role in providing the most effective, lowest-cost approaches for diagnosing, treating, and preventing disease and maintaining a healthy U.S. citizenry. […]
Imaging single proteins has been a long-standing ambition for advancing various fields in natural science. For instance, structural biology, biophysics, and molecular nanotechnology. In particular, revealing the distinct conformations of an individual protein is of utmost importance. The past 20 years have witnessed the advent [...]
Imagine knowing enough about Earth’s atmosphere to predict climate trends, or knowing enough about a hurricane to get the right people evacuated. Consider a time when advances in medical procedures retire the scalpel to the museum. Even in precision-manufacturing, laser technology advancements can potentially bring [...]
