Real-time, 3D microscopic tissue imaging could be a
revolution for medical fields such as cancer diagnosis, minimally invasive
surgery, and ophthalmology. University
of Illinois researchers
have developed a technique to computationally correct for aberrations in
optical tomography, bringing the future of medical imaging into focus.
The computational technique could provide faster, less-expensive,
and higher-resolution tissue imaging to a broader population of users. The
group describes its technique in an online early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"Computational techniques allow you to go beyond what the
optical system can do alone, to ultimately get the best quality images and 3D
datasets," said Steven Adie, a postdoctoral researcher at the Beckman Institute
for Advanced Science and Technology at the U. of I. "This would be very useful for real-time imaging applications such as
image-guided surgery."
Aberrations, such as astigmatism or distortion, plague
high-resolution imaging. They make objects that should look like fine points
appear to be blobs or streaks. The higher the resolution, the worse the problem
becomes. It's especially tricky in tissue imaging, when precision is vital to a
correct diagnosis.
Adaptive optics can correct aberrations in imaging. It's
widely used in astronomy to correct for distortion as starlight filters through
the atmosphere. A complex system of mirrors smooth out the scattered light
before it enters the lens. Medical scientists have begun applying adaptive
optics hardware to microscopes, hoping to improve cell and tissue imaging.
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