High-sensitivity Compton imaging with position-sensitive Si and Ge detectors

We report on the development of high-sensitivity and compact Compton imaging systems built of large and position-sensitive Si(Li) and HPGe detectors. The primary goal of this effort is to provide improved capabilities in the passive detection of nuclear materials for homeland security. Our detectors are implemented in double-sided strip configuration, which—along with digital signal processing—provides energies and three-dimensional position information of individual γ-ray interactions. γ-Ray tracking algorithms then determine the scattering sequence of the γ-ray, which in turn allows us—employing the Compton scattering formula—to reconstruct a cone of possible incident angles and ultimately an image. This Compton imaging concept enables large-field-of-view γ-ray imaging without the use of a heavy collimator or aperture. The intrinsically high-energy resolution of the detectors used, the excellent position resolution we have demonstrated, both combined with the high efficiency of large-volume detectors is the basis for high Compton imaging sensitivity. These capabilities are being developed to identify and localize potential threat sources and to potentially increase the sensitivity in detecting weak sources out of the midst of natural, medical, or commercial sources. γ-ray imaging provides a new degree of freedom to distinguish between spatial and temporal background fluctuations and compact threat sources.     

Parametric imaging for characterizing focal liver lesions in contrast-enhanced ultrasound

The differentiation between benign and malignant focal liver lesions plays an important role in diagnosis of liver disease and therapeutic planning of local or general disease. This differentiation, based on characterization, relies on the observation of the dynamic vascular patterns (DVP) of lesions with respect to adjacent parenchyma, and may be assessed during contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging after a bolus injection. For instance, hemangiomas (i.e., benign lesions) exhibit hyper-enhanced signatures over time, whereas metastases (i.e., malignant lesions) frequently present hyperenhanced foci during the arterial phase and always become hypo-enhanced afterwards. The objective of this work was to develop a new parametric imaging technique, aimed at mapping the DVP signatures into a single image called a DVP parametric image, conceived as a diagnostic aid tool for characterizing lesion types. The methodology consisted in processing a time sequence of images (DICOM video data) using four consecutive steps: (1) pre-processing combining image motion correction and linearization to derive an echo-power signal, in each pixel, proportional to local contrast agent concentration over time; (2) signal modeling, by means of a curve-fitting optimization, to compute a difference signal in each pixel, as the subtraction of adjacent parenchyma kinetic from the echopower signal; (3) classification of difference signals; and (4) parametric image rendering to represent classified pixels as a support for diagnosis. DVP parametric imaging was the object of a clinical assessment on a total of 146 lesions, imaged using different medical ultrasound systems. The resulting sensitivity and specificity were 97% and 91%, respectively, which compare favorably with scores of 81 to 95% and 80 to 95% reported in medical literature for sensitivity and specificity, respectively.     

Comparison of 2-D speckle tracking and tissue Doppler imaging in an isolated rabbit heart model

Ultrasound strain imaging has been proposed to quantitatively assess myocardial contractility. Cross-correlation-based 2-D speckle tracking (ST) and auto-correlation-based tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) [often called Doppler tissue imaging (DTI)] are competitive ultrasound techniques for this application. Compared with 2-D ST, TDI, as a 1-D method, is sensitive to beam angle and suffers from low strain signal-to-noise ratio because a high pulse repetition frequency is required to avoid aliasing in velocity estimation. In addition, ST and TDI are fundamentally different in the way that physical parameters such as the mechanical strain are derived, resulting in different estimation accuracy and interpretation. In this study, we directly compared the accuracy of TDI and 2-D ST estimates of instantaneous axial normal strain and accumulated axial normal strain using a simulated heart. We then used an isolated rabbit heart model of acute ischemia produced by left descending anterior artery ligation to evaluate the performance of the two methods in detecting abnormal motion. Results showed that instantaneous axial normal strains derived using TDI (0.36% error) were less accurate with larger variance than those derived from 2-D ST (0.08% error) given the same spatial resolution. In addition to poorer accuracy, accumulated axial normal strain estimates derived using TDI suffered from bias, because the accumulation method for TDI cannot trace along the actual tissue displacement path. Finally, we demonstrated the advantage 2-D ST has over TDI to reduce dependency on beam angle for lesion detection by estimating strains based on the principal stretches and their corresponding principal axes.     

Raman imaging of carious lesions using a hollow optical fiber probe

Raman spectroscopy using a hollow optical fiber probe with a glass ball lens at the distal end is proposed for detection of early caries lesions. Raman spectroscopy on carious lesions of extracted teeth showed that the probe enables measurement with a high signal-to-noise ratio when combined with a ball lens with a high refractive index. The proposed probe and lens combination detects changes in Raman spectra caused by morphological differences between sound and carious enamel. We also obtained a high-contrast image of an early carious lesion by scanning the tooth surface with the probe.     

Direct imaging of the spatial and energy distribution of nucleation centres in ferroelectric materials

Macroscopic ferroelectric polarization switching, similar to other first-order phase transitions, is controlled by nucleation centres. Despite 50 years of extensive theoretical and experimental effort, the microstructural origins of the Landauer paradox, that is, the experimentally observed low values of coercive fields in ferroelectrics corresponding to implausibly large nucleation activation energies, are still a mystery. Here, we develop an approach to visualize the nucleation centres controlling polarization switching processes with nanometre resolution, determine their spatial and energy distribution and correlate them to local microstructure. The random-bond and random-field components of the disorder potential are extracted from positive and negative nucleation biases. Observation of enhanced nucleation activity at the 90 composite function domain wall boundaries and intersections combined with phase-field modelling identifies them as a class of nucleation centres that control switching in structural-defect-free materials.     

Oxygen distribution and vascular injury in the mouse eye measured by phosphorescence-lifetime imaging

Maps of the oxygen distribution in the retina of the mouse eye were obtained by phosphorescence-lifetime imaging. Phosphor dissolved in the blood was excited by modulated light and phosphorescence imaged through microscope optics with an intensified-CCD camera. Phosphorescence lifetimes and oxygen pressures were calculated for each pixel of the images. The resolution was sufficient to permit the detection of anomalies that result in reduced oxygen pressures in individual retinal capillaries. High-resolution maps of oxygen distribution in the retina can provide greater understanding of the role of oxygen and vascular function in diseases of the eye.     

High-sensitivity two-dimensional thermal- and mechanical-stress-induced birefringence measurements in a Nd:YAG rod

A novel polarimeter for measuring the two-dimensional (2D) thermal- and mechanical-stress-induced birefringence in solid-state laser materials such as Nd:YAG is proposed. Using this device, we could sensitively measure the direction of the principal birefringence axis as well as the phase shift δ with sign when δ < π/4. The 2D thermal- and mechanical-stress-induced birefringence in a laser-diode-pumped Nd:YAG rod was successfully measured with the proposed polarimeter. We also found an active quarter-wave Nd:YAG phase retarder.     

High-sensitivity detection of triacetone triperoxide (TATP) and its precursor acetone

Triacetone triperoxide (C(9)H(18)O(6), molecular mass of 222.24 g/mol) (TATP) is a powerful explosive that is easy to synthesize using commonly available household chemicals, acetone, and hydrogen peroxide 1 2. Because of the simplicity of its synthesis, TATP is often the explosive of choice for terrorists, including suicide bombers. For providing safety to the population, early detection of TATP and isolation of such individuals are essential. We report unambiguous, high-sensitivity detection of TATP and its precursor, acetone, using room-temperature quantum cascade laser photoacoustic spectroscopy (QCL-PAS). The available sensitivity is such that TATP, carried on a person (at a nominal body temperature of 37 degrees C), should be detectable at some distance. The combination of demonstrated detection of TATP and acetone should be ideal for screening at airports and other public places for providing increased public safety.     

High-sensitivity laser absorption measurements of broadband absorbers in the near-infrared spectral region

We describe the development and characterization of a near-infrared diode-laser-based sensor to measure the vapor from trace gases having unstructured absorption spectra. The technique uses two equal amplitude-modulated laser beams, with the modulation of the two lasers differing in phase by 180 deg. One of the laser beams is at a wavelength absorbed by the gas [for these experiments, vapor is from pyridine (C(5)H(5)N)], and the second laser beam is at a wavelength at which no absorption occurs. The two laser beams are launched onto near-coincident paths by graded-index lens-tipped optical fibers. The mixed laser beam signal is detected by use of a single photodiode and is demodulated with standard phase-sensitive detection. Data are presented for the detection and measurement of vapor from pyridine (C(5)H(5)N) by use of the mixed laser technique. The discussion focuses on experimental determination of whether a compound exhibits unstructured absorption spectra (referred to here as a broadband absorber) and methods used to maximize sensitivity.     

High-sensitivity determination of birefringence in turbid media with enhanced polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography

Polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography provides high-resolution cross-sectional characterization of birefringence in turbid media. Weakly birefringent biological tissues such as the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) require advanced speckle noise reduction for high-sensitivity measurement of form birefringence. We present a novel method for high-sensitivity birefringence quantification by using enhanced polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (EPS-OCT) and introduce the polarimetric signal-to-noise ratio, a mathematical tool for analyzing speckle noise in polarimetry. Multiple incident polarization states and non-linear fitting of normalized Stokes vectors allow determination of retardation with +/-1 degrees uncertainty with invariance to unknown unitary polarization transformations. Results from a weakly birefringent turbid film and in vivo primate RNFL are presented. In addition, we discuss the potential of EPS-OCT for noninvasive quantification of intracellular filamentous nanostructures, such as neurotubules in the RNFL that are lost during the progression of glaucoma.     

Localizable imaging study for the noninvasive diagnosis of lesions with the backscattering polarized light

The asymmetry appearing in the degree of polarization (DOP) distribution of the backscattering polarized light from tissues is investigated by using polarized Monte Carlo simulation. When the incident point is close to the boundary of the lesion inside the tissue, high asymmetry emerges regardless of the polarized direction of the incident light. A noninvasive method based upon the DOP asymmetry of the backscattering light is proposed to locate lesions hidden in live tissues by scanning a point light source. Imaging of the front projection on complicated lesion structures is demonstrated with this method. Its transverse resolution, which is affected by the wavelength of incident light and the size of the scattering particle, can reach the diameter of the lesion scattering particle theoretically while the best longitudinal detection depth can be achieved by choosing a suitable incident wavelength according to the scattering characters of the tissue.     

基于时间反转加权分布的复合材料Lamb波损伤成像

超声Lamb波是检测板状结构损伤的常用方法,然而碳纤维增强聚合物基复合材料（Carbon Fiber ReinforcedPlastics,CFRP）本身的各向异性会对Lamb波的损伤成像和定位造成很大的影响。且大多数检测方法均采用健康结构的检测信号作为参考信号,用差信号的方法来实现损伤成像,该过程容易受到待测结构和实验环境变化等外界因素的影响。针对该问题,采用时间反转和加权分布成像相结合的方法,将其应用在复合材料板状结构的Lamb波损伤检测和成像中。仿真结果表明,该方法能够有效地实现板中单源脱层损伤和多源脱层损伤的二维成像与定位,且具有较高的精度和准确性。     

The distribution of water in degrading polyglycolide. Part II: Magnetic resonance imaging and drug release

This paper reports the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on polyglycolide disks to monitor the change in water ingress with degradation time. Very little response was measured before 13 days, but after this time, water began to penetrate the disks as fronts, starting from the sample surface and moving inwards towards the centre. These results provide more direct evidence in support of the four-stage degradation model for PGA outlined in previous literature, and in particular, that fairly sharp reaction-erosion fronts move in from the sample surface to the centre when the polymer is undergoing significant mass loss and water gain. A combination of MRI and drug release data suggest that fronts originate at the surface at about 7 (±2) days, and proceed at a rate of 0.033 (±0.002) mm/day. These results agree with results obtained from cumulative drug release profiles for different sample thicknesses presented in Part I. They support the hypothesis that drug releases quickly from the swollen regions behind the fronts where the polymer is open and porous, and that release finishes when the fronts meet in the centre of the sample.     

Quantitative reconstruction of refractive index distribution and imaging of glucose concentration by using diffusing light

We show that a two-step reconstruction method can be adapted to improve the quantitative accuracy of the refractive index reconstruction in phase-contrast diffuse optical tomography (PCDOT). We also describe the possibility of imaging tissue glucose concentration with PCDOT. In this two-step method, we first use our existing finite-element reconstruction algorithm to recover the position and shape of a target. We then use the position and size of the target as a priori information to reconstruct a single value of the refractive index within the target and background regions using a region reconstruction method. Due to the extremely low contrast available in the refractive index reconstruction, we incorporate a data normalization scheme into the two-step reconstruction to combat the associated low signal-to-noise ratio. Through a series of phantom experiments we find that this two-step reconstruction method can considerably improve the quantitative accuracy of the refractive index reconstruction. The results show that the relative error of the reconstructed refractive index is reduced from 20% to within 1.5%. We also demonstrate the possibility of PCDOT for recovering glucose concentration using these phantom experiments.     

Estimation of a two-dimensional seismic compressional-wave velocity distribution by iterative tomographic imaging

Two-dimensional velocity distributions may be estimated using iterative tomographic imaging. The medium is parameterized as a grid of small rectangular elements, each of which has constant (unknown) slowness (s); the data are refraction travel-times (t) picked from the real data, which are transmitted between sources and recorders both located on the Earth's surface. Slowness estimation is performed by solution of the system of equations t = Ds^T where D is a matrix of ray segment lengths, and T denotes the vector transpose. The solution involves minimization of the difference between the real and predicted travel-times and is equally applicable to under and over-determined problems. As matrix D is very large it cannot be inverted directly, and a row-action, simultaneous iterative reconstruction technique is used. Predicted travel-times are obtained by vectorized ray tracing. Rays are updated every few iterations so that they are internally consistent with the velocity estimated by tomography. The wider the source and recording apertures, the greater the depths that can be imaged. Rays refracted at the shallowest depths contain independent constraints that cannot be replaced by increasing the amount of data refracted at greater depths.     

Real-time measurements of spatial velocity distribution with a laser Doppler imaging system

A new laser Doppler imaging system with a TV camera has been constructed, which brightly displays 1-D velocity distribution on a monitor. Some characteristics of this system have been experimentally investigated from measurements of simple velocity distribution on a constantly rotating ground glass disk. From an adaptation to fluid flow, it has been shown that the measurements of spatial velocity distribution can be achieved in real time.     

Direct Raman imaging techniques for study of the subcellular distribution of a drug

Direct Raman imaging techniques are demonstrated to study the drug distribution in living cells. The advantage of Raman imaging is that no external markers are required, which simplifies the sample preparation and minimally disturbs the drug mechanism during imaging. The major challenge in Raman imaging is the weak Raman signal. In this study, we present a Raman image model to describe the degradation of Raman signals by imaging processes. Using this model, we demonstrate special-purpose image-processing algorithms to restore the Raman images. The processing techniques are then applied to visualize the anticancer agent paclitaxel in living MDA-435 breast cancer cells. Raman images were obtained from a cancer cell before, during, and after drug treatment. The paclitaxel distribution illustrated in these images is explained by means of the binding characteristics of the paclitaxel and its molecular target-the microtubules. This result demonstrates that direct Raman imaging is a promising tool to study the distribution of a drug in living cells.     

Application of two-dimensional spectral surface plasmon resonance to imaging of pressure distribution in elastohydrodynamic lubricant films

What we believe to be a novel two-dimensional spectral surface plasmon resonance imaging technique determining pressure distribution in elastohydrodynamic lubricant films is presented. This technique makes use of the spectral characteristics associated with the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect, and it provides more spectral information in refractive index mapping than conventional contrast SPR imaging. Two-dimensional imaging is demonstrated and applied to a highly pressurized liquid lubricant trapped inside an elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) dimple. The hydrostatic pressure inside the EHL dimple causes a localized change of the refractive index of the lubrication oil. This also results in a shift in the spectral SPR absorption dip. By monitoring the color changes within the SPR image and calibrating with lubricants of known refractive index profiles, we can obtain a direct measurement of the refractive index distribution within the EHL dimple. PB 2400 lubricant dimples were studied in our experiments. The proposed SPR imaging approach is irrespective of the absolute lubricant film thickness h, therefore overcoming the major limitations of a conventional optical interference technique. With further development of the two-dimensional refractive index mapping technique, widespread applications in various fields are possible, including high-throughput sensors and the detection of bioaffinity interactions.