This PDF file contains the front matter associated with SPIE Proceedings Volume 9537, including the Title Page, Copyright information, Table of Contents, Introduction (if any), and Conference Committee listing.

The main goal of our investigations is to focus on the basic physiological mechanisms of microorganisms (yeast and bacteria), exposed to different conditions, by time-resolved Raman spectroscopy. This study provides an insight into the mechanism of targeted stress factors or the influence of different cultivation times on species metabolism in vivo, in realtime and label free. We also focused on time-course study of physico-chemical properties of bacterial cells and cell cytoplasm with respect to the intracellular content of polyhydroxyalkanoates and to the production of yeast lipids or carotenoids.

In this present study we applied Raman and fluorescence microscopy to investigate the internalisation, cellular distribution and effects on cell metabolism of photosensitizer nanoparticles for photodynamic therapy in fibroblasts and macrophages.

Porphyrias are rare genetic metabolic disorders, which result from deficiencies of enzymes in the heme biosynthesis pathway. Depending on the enzyme defect, different types of porphyrins and heme precursors accumulate for the different porphyria diseases in erythrocytes, liver, blood plasma, urine and stool. Patients with acute hepatic porphyrias can suffer from acute neuropathic attacks, which can lead to death when undiagnosed, but show only unspecific clinical symptoms such as abdominal pain. Therefore, in addition to chromatographic methods, a rapid screening test is required to allow for immediate identification and treatment of these patients. In this study, fluorescence spectroscopic measurements were conducted on blood plasma and phantom material, mimicking the composition of blood plasma of porphyria patients. Hydrochloric acid was used to differentiate the occurring porphyrins (uroporphyrin-III and coproporphyrin-III) spectroscopically despite their initially overlapping excitation spectra. Plasma phantom mixtures were measured using dual wavelength excitation and the corresponding concentrations of uroporphyrin-III and coproporphyrin-III were determined. Additionally, three plasma samples of porphyria patients were examined and traces of coproporphyrin-III and uroporphyrin-III were identified. This study may therefore help to establish a rapid screening test method with spectroscopic differentiation of the occurring porphyrins, which consequently allows for the distinction of different porphyrias. This may be a valuable tool for clinical porphyria diagnosis and rapid or immediate treatment.

Metabolic imaging can be a valuable tool in the early diagnosis of corneal diseases. Cell metabolic changes can be assessed through non-invasive optical methods due to the autofluorescence of metabolic co-factors nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD). Both molecules exhibit double exponential fluorescence decays, with well-separated short and long lifetime components, which are related to their protein-bound and free states. Corneal metabolism can be monitored by measuring the relative contribution of these two components.

Here we report on the development of a fluorescence lifetime imaging microscope for in vivo measurement of FAD fluorescence lifetimes in corneal cells. The microscope is based on one-photon fluorescence excitation, through a pulsed blue diode laser. Fluorescence lifetime imaging is achieved using the Time-Gated technique. Structured illumination is used to improve the low axial resolution of wide-field time-gated FLIM. A Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) is used to produce the sinusoidal patterns required by structural illumination. The DMD control is integrated with the acquisition software of the imaging system which is based on an ultra-high speed gated image intensifier coupled to a CCD camera.

We present preliminary results concerning optical and timing performance of the fluorescence lifetime microscope. Preliminary tests with ex-vivo bovine corneas are also described.

Video-rate structured illumination microscopy (VR-SIM) of fluorescently stained prostate biopsies is demonstrated as a potential tool for rapid diagnosis of prostate biopsies at the point of care. Images of entire biopsies at 1.3 micron lateral resolution are rendered in seconds, and pathologist review of the resulting images achieves 90% accuracy as compared to gold standard histopathology.

Hypercholesterolemia is characterized by high blood levels of cholesterol and is associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Xanthelasma is a subcutaneous lesion appearing in the skin around the eyes. Xanthelasma is related to hypercholesterolemia. Identifying micro-xanthelasma can thereforeprovide a mean for early detection of hypercholesterolemia and prevent onset and progress of disease. The goal of this study was to investigate spectral and spatial characteristics of hypercholesterolemia in facial skin. Optical techniques like hyperspectral imaging (HSI) might be a suitable tool for such characterization as it simultaneously provides high resolution spatial and spectral information. In this study a 3D Monte Carlo model of lipid inclusions in human skin was developed to create hyperspectral images in the spectral range 400-1090 nm. Four lesions with diameters 0.12–1.0 mm were simulated for three different skin types. The simulations were analyzed using three algorithms: the Tissue Indices (TI), the two layer Diffusion Approximation (DA), and the Minimum Noise Fraction transform (MNF). The simulated lesions were detected by all methods, but the best performance was obtained by the MNF algorithm. The results were verified using data from 11 volunteers with known cholesterol levels. The face of the volunteers was imaged by a LCTF system (400- 720 nm), and the images were analyzed using the previously mentioned algorithms. The identified features were then compared to the known cholesterol levels of the subjects. Significant correlation was obtained for the MNF algorithm only. This study demonstrates that HSI can be a promising, rapid modality for detection of hypercholesterolemia.

Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy characterizes composition and structure of tissues by determining their scattering and absorption properties. We have developed in our laboratory a low-cost spatially resolved diffuse reflectance spectroscopy instrument. We present in this study some results showing how to adapt this technology on multi-layered tissues. First of all, a method enabling determination of scattering and absorption properties of multi-layered phantoms is described; the adaptation of the initial methodology to focus on deep layers is especially detailed. Then some preliminary results obtained on a panel of volunteer’s redness faces are presented.

The current study deals with new perspectives to perform more efficient classification of mouse skin precancerous stages by means of a decision fusion scheme based on belief functions and exploiting the spatial resolution of the autofluorescence and diffuse reflectance spectroscopic data.

Two different optical fiber probes for combined Raman and fluorescence spectroscopic measurements were designed, developed and used for tissue diagnostics. Two visible laser diodes were used for fluorescence spectroscopy, whereas a laser diode emitting in the NIR was used for Raman spectroscopy. The two probes were based on fiber bundles with a central multimode optical fiber, used for delivering light to the tissue, and 24 surrounding optical fibers for signal collection. Both fluorescence and Raman spectra were acquired using the same detection unit, based on a cooled CCD camera, connected to a spectrograph. The two probes were successfully employed for diagnostic purposes on various tissues in a good agreement with common routine histology. This study included skin, brain and bladder tissues and in particular the classification of: malignant melanoma against melanocytic lesions and healthy skin; urothelial carcinoma against healthy bladder mucosa; brain tumor against dysplastic brain tissue. The diagnostic capabilities were determined using a cross-validation method with a leave-one-out approach, finding very high sensitivity and specificity for all the examined tissues. The obtained results demonstrated that the multimodal approach is crucial for improving diagnostic capabilities. The system presented here can improve diagnostic capabilities on a broad range of tissues and has the potential of being used for endoscopic inspections in the near future.

Oral cancer together with pharyngeal cancer is the sixth most common malignancy reported worldwide and one with high mortality ratio among all malignancies [1]. Worldwide 450,000 new cases are estimated in 2014[2]. About 90% are a type of cancer called squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). SCC of the tongue is the most common oral malignancy accounting for approximately 40% of all oral carcinomas. One of the important factors for successful therapy of any malignancy is early diagnosis. Although considerable progress has been made in understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms of tumorigenesis, lack of reliable diagnostic methods for early detection leading to delay in therapy is an important factor responsible for the increase in the mortality rate in various types of cancers. Spectroscopy techniques are extremely sensitive for the analysis of biochemical changes in cellular systems. These techniques can provide a valuable information on alterations that occur during the development of cancer. This is especially important in oral cancer, where "tumor detection is complicated by a tendency towards field cancerization, leading to multi-centric lesions" and "current techniques detect malignant change too late" [3], and "biopsies are not representative of the whole premalignant lesion". [4]

Histological assessment of freshly removed tissue specimens requires accurate and fast analysis in clinical procedures such as diagnostic biopsy and surgical tumor resection. Current histological assessment methods are either time-consuming or damage the tissue beyond the ability to re-analyze post-procedure. We demonstrate a novel dual-stain fluorescent analogue to brightfield Hematoxylin and Eosin for in-procedure histopathology that is both time-efficient and preserves the analyzed tissue for later analysis. H&E-like images are created from the combination of DRAQ5 and Eosin applied to human prostate tissue and animal muscle tissue under confocal microscopy. D&E images are pseduocolored to match H&E coloring, showing near-identical features to brightfield H&E of the same tissue. The histological accuracy, short staining time, and tissue preservation aspects of this dual-stain technique demonstrates its potential to be adopted for use in point-of-care pathology.

The purpose of this research project is to assess mice colon wall, using three optical modalities (conventional endoscopy, confocal endomicroscopy and optical spectroscopy) and endoluminal MRI. The study is done in the context of inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer that represent 13% of new cases of cancer, every year in western countries. An optical spectroscopic bench (autofluorescence and reflectance) was developed with a flexible fiber probe. This latter has been combined with a mini multi-purpose rigid endoscope and a confocal endomicroscope. The optical modalities were first used in vivo on SWISS mice. Then, a specific optical a phantom (containing two layers of distinct fluorophores) was developed in order to evaluate our two-channel spectroscopic probe as a basic depth-sensitive measurement tool. The preliminary results show the feasibility to combine such modalities in the same in vivo protocol. Conventional endoscopy is useful to depict inflammation along colon wall. Confocal endomicroscopy provides high-contrasted images of microvascularization. Measured optical spectra both depend on biochemical tissue content and layered structure of the medium. The light collected from one channel is not similar to the other, in terms of intensity and spectroscopic profile as the interaction with the medium observed volume is different. A comparative analysis of the spectra based on our in vitro model exhibits a strong correlation between simple index extracted from spectral data and two main phantom characteristics (fluorophore concentrations and superficial layer thickness). This work suggests that this technique could contribute to assess tissues alterations through autofluorescence spectroscopic measurement under endoscopy.

Optical scattering provides an intrinsic contrast mechanism for the diagnosis of early precancerous changes in tissues. There have been a multitude of numerical studies targeted at delineating the relationship between cancer-related alterations in morphology and internal structure of cells and the resulting changes in their optical scattering properties. Despite these efforts, we still need to further our understanding of inherent scattering signatures that can be linked to precancer progression. As such, computational studies aimed at relating electromagnetic wave interactions to cellular and subcellular structural alterations are likely to provide a quantitative framework for a better assessment of the diagnostic content of optical signals. In this study, we aim to determine the influence of structural length-scale variations on two-dimensional light scattering properties of cells. We numerically construct cell models with different lower bounds on the size of refractive index heterogeneities and we employ the finite-difference time-domain method to compute their azimuth-resolved light scattering patterns. The results indicate that changes in length-scale variations can significantly alter the two-dimensional scattering patterns of cell models. More specifically, the degree of azimuthal asymmetry characterizing these patterns is observed to be highly dependent on the range of length-scale variations. Overall, the study described here is expected to offer useful insights into whether azimuth-resolved measurements can be explored for diagnostic purposes.

Intra-operative surgical margin assessment by pathology is labor-intensive and time-consuming and is not practically capable of sampling the entire specimen. Positive surgical margins (PSMs), or tumor extending to the surface of the excised specimen, are associated with increased tumor recurrence and are accepted as poor independent prognostic indicators. Considering the PSM rate is high for patients with prostate and kidney cancer, residual tumor following radical prostatectomy and partial nephrectomy remains a significant problem. To address the unmet clinical need for an imaging tool that can provide sub-cellular resolution images of large areas of excised surgical specimens in an intra-operative timeframe, we have developed a video rate structured illumination microscopy (VR-SIM) system. We conducted a clinical trial using VR-SIM to create gigapixel mosaics of entire margin surfaces for each specimen. In the ongoing study, 5 patients undergoing radical prostatectomy and 4 patients undergoing partial nephrectomy participated to have digital images of their surgical specimens reviewed in comparison to the pathology report. The surfaces of the intact, excised specimens were imaged in an appropriate timeframe and showed visualization of histopathologically relevant structures.

Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy utilizing optical fiber probes is a useful and simple method for non-invasive determination of biological tissue optical properties. In order to extract the optical properties from the acquired diffuse reflectance spectra, an accurate light propagation model, such as Monte Carlo, is required. The results obtained by the model can significantly depend on the description of the tissue and optical fiber probe geometry. Optical fiber probes commonly comprise fibers arranged into a desired source-detector layout enclosed in a stainless steel ferrule. By using Monte Carlo simulations, we investigate the impact of the stainless steel optical fiber probe-tissue interface on the diffuse reflectance spectra. For this purpose, a commonly used simple laterally uniform optical probe-tissue interface with mismatched refractive indices was compared to the improved optical probe-tissue interface taking into account the fiber layout and the specular reflections from the stainless steel probe tip. The results show that the error introduced into the simulated diffuse reflectance by the simplified probe-tissue interface can easily exceed 5%.

Thermal ablation, using radiofrequency, microwave, and laser sources, is a common treatment for hepatic tumors. Sensors allow monitoring, at the point of treatment, the evolution of thermal ablation procedures. We present optical fiber sensors that allow advanced capabilities for recording the biophysical phenomena occurring in the tissue in real time. Distributed or quasi-distributed thermal sensors allow recording temperature with spatial resolution ranging from 0.1 mm to 5 mm. In addition, a thermally insensitive pressure sensor allows recording pressure rise, supporting advanced treatment of encapsulated tumors. Our investigation is focused on two case studies: (1) radiofrequency ablation of hepatic tissue, performed on a phantom with a stem-shaped applicator; (2) laser ablation of a liver phantom, performed with a fiber laser. The main measurement results are discussed, comparing the technologies used for the investigation, and drawing the potential for using optical fiber sensors for "smart"-ablation.

Modern transfusion medicine relies on the safe, secure, and cost-effective delivery of donated red blood cells (RBCs). Once isolated, RBCs are suspended in a defined additive solution and stored in plastic blood bags in which, over time, they undergo chemical, physiological, and morphological changes that may have a deleterious impact on some patients. Regulations limit the storage period to 42 days and the cells do not routinely undergo analytical testing before use. In this study, we use Raman spectroscopy to interrogate stored RBCs and we identify metabolic and cell-breakdown products, such as haemoglobin and membrane fragments, that build-up in the blood bags as the cells age. Our work points the way to the development of an instrument which could quickly and easily assess the biochemical nature of stored RBC units before they are transfused.

In this paper we present a proof-of-concept of a Raman spectroscopy-based approach for measuring the content of propofol, a common anesthesia drug, in whole human blood, and plasma, which is intended for use during clinical procedures. This method utilizes the Raman spectroscopy as a chemically–sensitive method for qualitative detection of the presence of a drug and a quantitative determination of its concentration. A number of samples from different patients with added various concentrations of propofol IV solution were measured. This is most equivalent to a real in-vivo situation. Subsequent analysis of a set of spectra was carried out to extract qualitative and quantitative information. We conclude, that the changes in the spectra of blood with propofol, overlap with the most prominent lines of the propofol solution, especially at spectral regions: 1450 cm^-1, 1250- 1260 cm^-1, 1050 cm^-1, 875-910 cm^-1, 640 cm^-1. Later, we have introduced a quantitative analysis program based on correlation matrix closest fit, and a LOO cross-validation. We have achieved 36.67% and 60% model precision when considering full spectra, or specified bands, respectively. These results prove the possibility of using Raman spectroscopy for quantitative detection of propofol concentrations in whole human blood.

This work is aimed at the development of new approach to register intracellular pH with genetically encoded ratiometric sensor. Intracellular pH of cancer cells was studied in vitro and in vivo. Changes of intracellular pH under conditions of co-culturing with fibroblast were investigated.

This work presents a combination of differential absorption technique and frequency domain optical coherence tomography for detection of glucose, which is an important analyte in medical diagnosis of diabetes. Differential absorption technique is used to detect glucose selectively in the presence of interfering species especially water and frequency domain optical coherence tomography (FDOCT) helps to obtain faster acquisition of depth information. Two broadband super-luminescent diode (SLED) sources with centre wavelengths 1586 nm (wavelength range of 1540 to 1640 nm) and 1312 nm (wavelength range of 1240 to 1380 nm) and a spectral width of ≈ 60 nm (FWHM) are used. Preliminary studies on absorption spectroscopy using various concentrations of aqueous glucose solution gave promising results to distinguish the absorption characteristics of glucose at two wavelengths 1310 nm (outside the absorption band of glucose) and 1625 nm (within the absorption band of glucose). In order to mimic the optical properties of biological skin tissue, 2% and 10% of 20% intralipid with various concentrations of glucose (0 to 4000 mg/dL) was prepared and used as sample. Using OCT technique, interference spectra were obtained using an optical spectrum analyzer with a resolution of 0.5 nm. Further processing of the interference spectra provided information on reflections from the surfaces of the cuvette containing the aqueous glucose sample. Due to the absorption of glucose in the wavelength range of 1540 nm to 1640 nm, a trend of reduction in the intensity of the back reflected light was observed with increase in the concentration of glucose.

Hyperspectral imaging provides non-contact, high resolution spectral images which has a substantial diagnostic potential. This can be used for e.g. diagnosis and early detection of arthritis in finger joints. Processing speed is currently a limitation for clinical use of the technique. A real-time system for analysis and visualization using GPU processing and threaded CPU processing is presented. Images showing blood oxygenation, blood volume fraction and vessel enhanced images are among the data calculated in real-time. This study shows the potential of real-time processing in this context. A combination of the processing modules will be used in detection of arthritic finger joints from hyperspectral reflectance and transmittance data.

Mid-infrared spectroscopy has been successfully applied for reagent-free clinical chemistry applications. Our aim is to design a portable bed-side system for ICU patient monitoring, based on mid-infrared absorption spectra of continuously sampled body-fluids. Robust and miniature bed-side systems can be achieved with tunable external cavity quantum cascade lasers (EC-QCL). Previously, single EC-QCL modules covering a wavenumber interval up to 250 cm^-1 have been utilized. However, for broader applicability in biomedical research an extended interval around the mid-infrared fingerprint region should be accessible, which is possible with at least three or four EC-QCL modules. For such purpose, a tunable ultra-broadband system (1920 - 780 cm^-1, Block Engineering) has been studied with regard to its transient emission characteristics in ns time resolution during different laser pulse widths using a VERTEX 80v FTIR spectrometer with step-scan option. Furthermore, laser emission line profiles of all four incorporated EC-QCL modules have been analysed at high spectral resolution (0.08 cm-1) and beam profiles with few deviations from the TEM 00 spatial mode have been manifested. Emission line reproducibility has been tested for various wavenumbers in step tune mode. The overall accuracy of manufacturer default wavenumber setting has been found between ± 3 cm^-1 compared to the FTIR spectrometer scale. With regard to an application in clinical chemistry, theoretically achievable concentration accuracies for different blood substrates based on blood plasma and dialysate spectra previously recorded by FTIRspectrometers have been estimated taking into account the now accessible extended wavenumber interval.

To realize the non-invasive blood glucose measurement, it will be effective to acquire the spectroscopic imaging of blood vessels only near the skin surface for eliminating other biological-component’s disturbances. Our proposed imaging-type 2-dimensional Fourier spectroscopic imaging can limit the measuring depth into focal plane with high light detection sensitivity. Thus, the proposed method will be suitable for measuring only near the skin surface with detecting weak reflected light from inner biomembrane. But reflectance of skin surface is more than 1000 times larger than inner skin’s reflectance. Paying attention on Fresnel reflection, fingers what were illuminated by p-polarized beam from Brewster's angle were observed with crossed-Nicol dark field optics. We successfully acquired spectroscopic characteristics of hemoglobin at vein area near the skin surface.

For blood glucose level measurement of dialysis machines, we proposed AAA-battery-size ATR (Attenuated total reflection) Fourier spectroscopy in middle infrared light region. The proposed one-shot Fourier spectroscopic imaging is a near-common path and spatial phase-shift interferometer with high time resolution. Because numerous number of spectral data that is 60 (= camera frame rare e.g. 60[Hz]) multiplied by pixel number could be obtained in 1[sec.], statistical-averaging improvement realize high-accurate spectral measurement. We evaluated the quantitative accuracy of our proposed method for measuring glucose concentration in near-infrared light region with liquid cells. We confirmed that absorbance at 1600[nm] had high correlations with glucose concentrations (correlation coefficient: 0.92). But to measure whole-blood, complex light phenomenon caused from red blood cells, that is scattering and multiple reflection or so, deteriorate spectral data. Thus, we also proposed the ultrasound-assisted spectroscopic imaging that traps particles at standing-wave node. Thus, if ATR prism is oscillated mechanically, anti-node area is generated around evanescent light field on prism surface. By elimination complex light phenomenon of red blood cells, glucose concentration in whole-blood will be quantify with high accuracy. In this report, we successfully trapped red blood cells in normal saline solution with ultrasonic standing wave (frequency: 2[MHz]).

Non-radiative cell membrane associated energy transfer (FRET) from a cyan (ECFP) to a yellow (EYFP) fluorescent protein is used for detection of apoptosis in multi-cellular tumor spheroids. Low light exposure in light sheet fluorescence microscopy is combined with the detection of spectral changes and prolonged fluorescence lifetimes of the donor ECFP upon apoptosis. In view of future label-free detection preliminary experiments of light scattering microscopy with high angular resolution are reported which may give additional information on morphological changes.

Delivery of radiofrequency (RF) electrical energy is used during surgery to heat and seal tissue, such as vessels, allowing resection without blood loss. Recent work has suggested that this approach may be extended to allow surgical attachment of larger tissue segments for applications such as bowel anastomosis.

In a large series of porcine surgical procedures bipolar RF energy was used to resect and re-seal the small bowel in vivo with a commercial tissue fusion device (Ligasure; Covidien PLC, USA). The tissue was then imaged with a multispectral imaging laparoscope to obtain a spectral datacube comprising both fused and healthy tissue. Maps of blood volume, oxygen saturation and scattering power were derived from the measured reflectance spectra using an optimised light-tissue interaction model.

A 60% increase in reflectance of visible light (460-700 nm) was observed after fusion, with the tissue taking on a white appearance. Despite this the distinctive shape of the haemoglobin absorption spectrum was still noticeable in the 460-600 nm wavelength range. Scattering power increased in the fused region in comparison to normal serosa, while blood volume and oxygen saturation decreased.

Observed fusion-induced changes in the reflectance spectrum are consistent with the biophysical changes induced through tissue denaturation and increased collagen cross-linking. The multispectral imager allows mapping of the spatial extent of these changes and classification of the zone of damaged tissue. Further analysis of the spectral data in parallel with histopathological examination of excised specimens will allow correlation of the optical property changes with microscopic alterations in tissue structure.

Spectrally and angular resolved light scattering from yeast cells was studied with a scattering microscope and a goniometer. Different cell models were investigated with help of analytical solutions of Maxwell's equations. It was found that extraction of precise morphological and optical cellular properties from the measured scattering patterns and phase functions requires more sophisticated cell models than standard Mie theory.

The transverse and longitudinal plasmon resonance in gold nanorods can be exploited to localize the photothermal therapy and influence the fluorescence to monitor the treatment outcome at the same time. While the longitudinal plasmon peak contributes to the photothermal effect, the transverse peak can enhance fluorescence. After cells take in PEGylated nanorods through endocytosis, autofluorescence from endogenous fluorophores such as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) in the mitochondria is enhanced two times, which is a good indicator of the respiratory status of the cell. When cells are illuminated continuously with near infrared laser, the temperature reaches the hyperthermic region within the first four minutes, which demonstrates the efficiency of gold nanorods in photothermal therapy. The cell viability test and autofluorescence intensity show good correlation indicating the progress of cell death over time.

Atherosclerosis is a primary cause of critical ischemic diseases like heart infarction or stroke. A method that can provide detailed information about the stability of atherosclerotic plaques is required. We focused on spectroscopic techniques that could evaluate the chemical composition of lipid in plaques. A novel angioscope using multispectral imaging at wavelengths around 1200 nm for quantitative evaluation of atherosclerotic plaques was developed. The angioscope consists of a halogen lamp, an indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) camera, 3 optical band pass filters transmitting wavelengths of 1150, 1200, and 1300 nm, an image fiber having 0.7 mm outer diameter, and an irradiation fiber which consists of 7 multimode fibers. Atherosclerotic plaque phantoms with 100, 60, 20 vol.% of lipid were prepared and measured by the multispectral angioscope. The acquired datasets were processed by spectral angle mapper (SAM) method. As a result, simulated plaque areas in atherosclerotic plaque phantoms that could not be detected by an angioscopic visible image could be clearly enhanced. In addition, quantitative evaluation of atherosclerotic plaque phantoms based on the lipid volume fractions was performed up to 20 vol.%. These results show the potential of a multispectral angioscope at wavelengths around 1200 nm for quantitative evaluation of the stability of atherosclerotic plaques.

To improve sensitivity of dental caries detection by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) analysis, it is proposed to utilize emission peaks in the ultraviolet. We newly focused on zinc whose emission peaks exist in ultraviolet because zinc exists at high concentration in the outer layer of enamel. It was shown that by using ratios between heights of an emission peak of Zn and that of Ca, the detection sensitivity and stability are largely improved. It was also shown that early caries are differentiated from healthy part by properly setting a threshold in the detected ratios. The proposed caries detection system can be applied to dental laser systems such as ones based on Er:YAG-lasers. When ablating early caries part by laser light, the system notices the dentist that the ablation of caries part is finished. We also show the intensity of emission peaks of zinc decreased with ablation with Er:YAG laser light.

We demonstrate a highly sensitive detection of AFP (α-fetoprotein) protein (liver cancer marker) in human serum using the LSPR biosensor. Gold metal nanodot array (MNA) on a glass wafer were fabricated by UV nanoimprint lithography (NIL). After the NIL process using a film stamp and the removal of residual layer via oxygen plasma etching, metal films were deposited using an electron-beam evaporator, followed by the lift-off step. Consequently, the gold MNA was realized on 5-inch glass wafer and the pitch, diameter and height of MNA were 300nm, 150 nm and 20 nm, respectively. We employed observation of LSPR spectra via back-reflection, which provides a stable measurement of LSPR because a probe light does not pass a bio-sample. In addition, one channel among two flow channels was used a control channel, the MNA surface in which was modified with bovine serum albumin, not antibody. After antigen-antibody reaction, the enzyme/precipitation was employed on the MNA (Nano-ELISA). As a result, we could detect AFP in 50L human serum with limit of detection (LOD) of 0.7 zeptomole (10^-21 mole).

In recent years the use of nanoparticles in medical applications has boomed. This is because the various applications that provide these materials like drug delivery, cancer cell diagnostics and therapeutics [1-5]. Biomedical applications of Quantum Dots (QDs) are focused on molecular imaging and biological sensing due to its optical properties. The size of QDs can be continuously tuned from 2 to 10 nm in diameter, which, after polymer encapsulation, generally increases to 5 – 20 nm diminishing the toxicity. The QDs prepared in our lab have a diameter between 2 to 7 nm. Particles smaller than 5 nm can interact with the cells [2]. Some of the characteristics that distinguish QDs from the commonly used fluorophores are wider range of emission, narrow and more sharply defined emission peak, brighter emission and a higher signal to noise ratio compared with organic dyes [6]. In this paper we will show our progress in the study of the interaction of quantum dots in live cells for image and Raman spectroscopy applications. We will also show the results of the interaction of quantum dots with genomic DNA for diagnostic purposes.

In the joint project "BioopTiss" between the Ulm University Medical Center and Ulm University of Applied Sciences, a bioreactor is under development to grow facial cartilage by the methods of tissue engineering. In order to ensure a sufficient quality of the cartilage for implantation, the cartilage growth must be monitored continuously. Current monitoring methods destroy the cultured cartilage so that it is no longer suitable for implantation. Alternatively, it is possible to analyze the cartilage using fluorescence spectroscopy with UV light excitation. This allows a non-invasive assessment of cartilage in terms of composition and quality. The cultured cartilage tissue can reach a size of several square centimeters. For recording fluorescence spectra of every point of the cartilage sample, a highly sensitive spectral camera has been developed which allows distinguishing collagen I from collagen II non-invasively by their fluorescence. This spectral camera operates according to the computed tomography imaging spectrometry (CTIS) principle, which allows obtaining many spectra of a small area with only one snapshot.

In this article the simultaneous investigation of blood parameters by complementary optical methods, Raman spectroscopy and spectral-domain low-coherence interferometry, is presented. Thus, the mutual relationship between chemical and physical properties may be investigated, because low-coherence interferometry measures optical properties of the investigated object, while Raman spectroscopy gives information about its molecular composition.

A series of in-vitro measurements were carried out to assess sufficient accuracy for monitoring of blood parameters. A vast number of blood samples with various hematological parameters, collected from different donors, were measured in order to achieve a statistical significance of results and validation of the methods. Preliminary results indicate the benefits in combination of presented complementary methods and form the basis for development of a multimodal system for rapid and accurate optical determination of selected parameters in whole human blood. Future development of optical systems and multivariate calibration models are planned to extend the number of detected blood parameters and provide a robust quantitative multi-component analysis.

Light-emitting diode (LED) is the neotype surgical lighting device as an inexpensive and color-variable illumination. A methodology was designed to value the quality of surgical lighting and used to develop an operation lamp with LEDs enhancing the biological contrast. We assembled a modular array of Phillips LEDs as illumination. In the initial experiment, images of porcine heart were carried out in several LED environments and analyzed quantitatively to assess the function of these LEDs in contrast enhancement. Then we measured the reflectance spectrums of blood, fat and other tissues to obtain the spectral comparison. Based on the result, new illuminations with spectral components which differ most in the comparison was developed. Meanwhile, a new evaluation function combining the entropy analysis and brightness contrast was also built to value the quality of these illuminations. Experiments showed biological features are more visible with treated LED illuminations than the broadband lamps. Thus, the synthesis of LED lighting spectra could be adjusted to provide significant tissue identification. Therefore, we believe the new methodology will contribute to the manufacture of high efficient medical illuminations and act the positive role in coming surgical lighting fields.

Delivery of upconversion microparticles [Y₂O₃:Yb, Er] and quantum dots (CuInS₂/ZnS coated with PEG-based amphiphilic polymer) into rat skin using the fractional laser microablation has been studied in vivo. Luminescence spectroscopy, optical coherence tomography, confocal microscopy, and histochemical analysis were used for visualization of nanoparticles in microchannels. Results have shown that the upconversion microparticles are detected more efficiently in comparison with the quantum dots. The fluorescence intensity of the inserted upconversion microparticles is higher, when the Omnipaque™ was applied as a skin optical clearing agent. The fluorescent images of upconversion nanoparticle distribution indicate the advantage of particle delivery into skin by ultrasound.

We constructed a movable imaging spectrograph-based system and a contact probe consisting of fibers with several source-to-detection separations (SDS) to measure spatially-resolved diffuse reflectance spectra from superficial tissue. The goal is to estimate optical properties of the mucosa in the oral cavity and investigate correlations between the estimated properties and precancerous changes in the mucosa. A previously developed GPU-based iterative curve-fitting inverse Monte Carlo model was used to extract optical properties from measured spectra. We validated the system with two-layer tissue phantoms, took in-vivo measurements on the buccal mucosa of three normal volunteers, and extracted optical parameters.

Detection of pre-malignant lesions in skin could help in reducing the 5 year patient mortality rates and greatly advancing the quality of life. Current gold standard for the detection of skin pathologies is a tissue biopsy and followed by a series of steps before it is examined under a light microscope by a pathologist. The disadvantage with this method is its invasiveness. Light based biomedical point spectroscopic techniques offers an adjunct technique to invasive tissue pathology. In this context, we have implemented a simple multiplexed ratiometric approach (F470/F560 and F510/F580) based on fluorescence at two excitation wavelengths 378 nm and 445 nm respectively. The emission profile at these excitation wavelengths showed a shift towards the longer wavelengths for melanoma when compared with normal and nevus. At both excitation wavelengths, we observed an increased intensity ratios for normal, followed by nevus and melanoma. This intensity ratios provide a good diagnostic capability in differentiating normal, nevus and melanocytic skin lesions. This method could be applied in vivo because of the simplicity involved in discriminating normal and pathological skin tissues.

A portable, spatially resolved diffuse reflectance (SRDR) lensless imaging technique based on the charge coupled device (CCD), or complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor directly coupled with fiber optic bundle can be proposed for visualization of subsurface structures such as intrapapillary capillary loops (IPCLs). In this article, we discuss an experimental method for emulating a lensless imaging setup via raster scanning a single fiberoptic cable (where image is relayed onto the sensor surface through a fiber-optic cable equivalent to coupling a fiber optic conduit directly onto the sensor surface without any lenses) over a microfluidic phantom containing periodic hemoglobin absorption contrast. For mimicking scattering properties of turbid media, a diffusive layer formed of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) was placed atop of the microfluidic phantom. Thickness of the layers ranged from 0.2-0.7mm, and the μs` value of the layers were in the range of 0.85 mm^-1 – 4.25mm^-1. The results demonstrate that a fiber-optic bundle/plate coupled lensless imaging setup has a high potential to recover intensity modulations from the subsurface patterns. Decreasing of the interrogation volumes leads to enhanced spatial resolution of diffuse reflectance imaging, and hence, can potentially overcome the scattering caused blurring.

Cancer is one of the leading causes for morbidity and mortality worldwide. Therefore, efforts are concentrated on cancer detection in an early stage to enhance survival rates for cancer patients. A certain intraoperative navigation in the tumor border zone is also an essential task to lower the mortality rate after surgical treatment. Molecular spectroscopy methods proved to be powerful tools to differentiate cancerous and healthy tissue. Within our project comparison of different vibration spectroscopy methods were tested to select the better one or to reach synergy from their combination.

One key aspect was in special fiber probe development for each technique. Using fiber optic probes in Raman, MIR and NIR spectroscopy is a very powerful method for non-invasive in vivo applications. Miniaturization of Raman probes was achieved by deposition of dielectric filters directly onto the silica fiber end surfaces. Raman, NIR and MIR spectroscopy were used to analyze samples from kidney tumors. The differentiation between cancer and healthy samples was successfully obtained by multivariate data analysis.

Multispectral image acquisitions are increasingly popular in dermatology, due to their improved spectral resolution which enables better tissue discrimination. Most applications however focus on restricted regions of interest, imaging only small lesions. In this work we present and discuss an imaging framework for high-resolution multispectral imaging on large regions of interest.

Temperature dependence of the fluorescence spectrum of ZnCdS nanoparticles introduced into 200-500 μm thick fat tissue slices in vitro was studied. The heating of the samples from the room to physiological temperature results in stronger (in depth) and faster tissue morphology change. This can help to detect location of nanoparticles during fat cell photothermolysis.

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is being evaluated as a pre-selection tool to categorize and localize populations of microbial colonies directly onto their culture medium, in order to facilitate the microbiology workflow downstream the incubation step. The categorization criteria were here limited to the diffuse radiance spectra acquired mostly in the visible region between 400 and 900 nm.

Although the diffuse radiance signal is much broader than the one acquired using vibrational techniques such as Raman and IR and limited to chromophores absorbing in the visible region, it can be acquired very quickly allowing to perform hyperspectral imaging of large objects (i.e. Petri dishes) with throughputs that are compatible with the needs of a clinical laboratory workflow. Moreover, additional cost reduction could possibly be achieved using application-specific multispectral systems. Furthermore, recent research has shown that good power of discrimination, at the species level, could be achieved at least for a low level of species.

In our work, we test different culture media, with and without a strong light absorption in the visible region, and report categorization results obtained when selecting end-member spectra according to a multi-parametric study (colonies, agar type). Results of categorization (e.g. at the species level) are presented using two types of supervised-categorization algorithms providing that they deliver subpixel fractional abundance information (Linear Spectral Unmixing type) or not such as Spectral Angle Mapping (SAM) and Euclidian Distance (ED) type. Interestingly the performance between the two classes of algorithms is dramatically different, a trend which is not always observed. An interpretation is proposed on the basis of the agar interference and the spectral purity of end-member spectra.

Primary angle closure glaucoma is a major form of disease that causes blindness in Asia and worldwide. In glaucoma, irregularities in the ocular aqueous outflow system cause an elevation in intraocular pressure (IOP) with subsequent death of retinal ganglion cells, resulting in loss of vision. High resolution visualization of the iridocorneal angle region has great diagnostic value in understanding the disease condition which enables monitoring of surgical interventions that decrease IOP. None of the current diagnostic techniques such as goniophotography, ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM), anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) and RetCam^™ can image with molecular specificity and required spatial resolution that can delineate the trabecular meshwork structures. This paper in this context proposes new concepts and methodology using Bessel beams based illumination and imaging for such diagnostic ocular imaging applications. The salient features using Bessel beams instead of the conventional Gaussian beam, and the optimization challenges in configuring the probe system will be illustrated with porcine eye samples.

The number of diabetics is rapidly growing every day in all parts of the world. By the year 2010, the number of patients suffering from diabetes had amounted to more than 230 million people, which is estimated as 3.5% of the whole world adult population [1]. According to expert forecasts, this number is projected to double by the year 2025, which is going to be 7% of whole Earth population. It was calculated that every 10 seconds someone in the world dies due to diabetes and its complications, which is 3 million people per year. The average life expectancy of children with diabetes is less than 28.3 years of onset. Diabetes is considered to be the fourth most common cause of death in industrialized countries. Vascular complications due to diabetes cause early disability and high mortality. Mortality from heart diseases and strokes is 2-3 times more likely for patients suffering from diabetes, whereas blindness, nephropathy and lower limbs gangrene happen respectively 10, 12-15 times, and almost 20 times more often for diabetics than general population. The number and strength of complications depend directly on the blood glucose level control quality. At the moment, the blood glucose level measurements are performed by glucometers [2,3]. This method requires that a patient makes a finger puncture for every measurement. About five punctures per day should be done for proper glucose monitoring, which is about 1,800 punctures per year. Besides, each measurement by glucometer requires a distinct test strip. Expenses for 1,800 test strips could be estimated as about 450 euros per year. It is also necessary to take into account that each puncture has a risk of blood poisoning. Using non-invasive techniques for glucose level control could reduce the amount of possible risky manipulations by 1800 per year. Moreover, it is worth mentioning that only eight of ten fingers are suitable for puncturing, and the constant skin damage which cannot be avoided is quite annoying for the patients. Most biomolecules have characteristic signature frequencies in the terahertz (THz) range, which can reveal their presence and determine the concentration. Therefore, this paper is intended to study the blood optical properties in the THz frequency range in order to determine THz radiation effect on blood. The main aim of this investigation is to determine the effect of blood glucose concentration on the blood optical properties. In the case if blood optical properties vary at different glucose concentrations having a proportional relationship between them, these results will confirm the possibility of development of non-invasive procedures for blood glucose level diagnostics.

A cartilage bioreactor with analytical functions for cartilage quality monitoring is being developed. For determining cartilage composition, reflection spectroscopy in the visible (VIS) and near infrared (NIR) spectral region is evaluated. Main goal is the determination of the most abundant cartilage compounds water, collagen I and collagen II. Therefore VIS and NIR reflection spectra of different cartilage samples of cow, pig and lamb are recorded. Due to missing analytical instrumentation for identifying the cartilage composition of these samples, typical literature concentration values are used for the development of chemometric models.

In spite of these limitations the chemometric models provide good cross correlation results for the prediction of collagen I and II and water concentration based on the visible and the NIR reflection spectra.

New biocompatible complexes based on manganese-doped core/shell ZnS/ZnS quantum dots (ZnS:Mn²⁺/ZnS) and drug "Photoditazin" were formed and compared to traditional complexes with CdSe/ZnS quantum dots. Complexes with ZnS:Mn/ZnS quantum dots show some advantages in their photophysical properties. At the same time they demonstrate evident difference in their photophysical properties that may be associated with various location of trap states in places where drug molecule bounds with quantum dot.

Photophysical properties of complexes of semiconductor quantum dots with conventional photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy (tetrapyrroles) were investigated. A luminescent study of complexes in aqueous solutions was performed using spectral- and time-resolved luminescence spectroscopy. It was found that increasing the photosensitizer relative concentration in complexes resulted in sharp drop of the nonradiative energy transfer efficiency and the quantum yield of the photosensitizer photoluminescence. This fact indicates that additional channels of nonradiative energy dissipation may take place in the complexes. Using complexes of Al(OH)-sulphophthalocyanine with CdSe/ZnS quantum dots in the aqueous solution as an typical example, we have demonstrated that new channels of the energy dissipation may arise due to aggregation of the photosensitizer molecules upon formation of the complexes with quantum dots. We also demonstrated that use of methods of complex formation preventing aggregation of photosensitizers allows to conserve the high energy transfer efficiency and quantum yield of the acceptor photoluminescence in complexes in wide range of the photosensitizer concentrations. We believe that our study allows obtaining new information about the physical mechanisms of nonradiative energy transfer in quantum dots-tetrapyrrole complexes perspective for photodynamic therapy.

The combined application of Raman and autofluorescence spectroscopy in visible and near infrared regions for the analysis of malignant neoplasms of human skin was demonstrated. Ex vivo experiments were performed for 130 skin tissue samples: 28 malignant melanomas, 19 basal cell carcinomas, 15 benign tumors, 9 nevi and 59 normal tissues. Proposed method of Raman spectra analysis allows for malignant melanoma differentiating from other skin tissues with accuracy of 84% (sensitivity of 97%, specificity of 72%). Autofluorescence analysis in near infrared and visible regions helped us to increase the diagnostic accuracy by 5-10%. Registration of autofluorescence in near infrared region is realized in one optical unit with Raman spectroscopy. Thus, the proposed method of combined skin tissues study makes possible simultaneous large skin area study with autofluorescence spectra analysis and precise neoplasm type determination with Raman spectroscopy.

The purpose of this study was to show the effectiveness of therapeutic drug level testing by Paper-based Surfaced Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (PSERS) for artificial lacrimal fluid. We have been used substrates which consist of a common filter paper and gold nano-rods. The targets were Phenobarbital (PB) which dissolved in artificial lacrimal fluid. We measured them using PSERS which the wavelength was 785nm, the power was 30mW. It was found that there were the strong peaks of PB at 997cm^-1 and 1026cm^-1 which corresponded with solid PB spectral peak for 1mM artificial lacrimal fluid. The results demonstrated the usefulness of this method. It is concluded that our method for therapeutic drug level testing is very efficient.