Objective
Revolutionary combination of principles of spectral domain and time domain coherence gating will be researched. The present proposal puts forward: (i) a novel class of optical interferometers, (ii) a novel class of wavefront sensors and (iii) combinations of imaging channels with the novel wavefront sensors. All these are driven by the needs to address the limitations in terms of speed of the time domain (TD) optical coherence tomography (OCT), in terms of range, resolution and focus of the spectral (SD) OCT methods and in terms of spatial resolution of wavefront sensors. A new class of OCT systems is researched, as a marriage between the TD-OCT and SD-OCT methods. The novel methods present the generality of being compatible with both TD-OCT and SD-OCT. It is envisaged that the research results will revolutionise the field of high resolution imaging and high sensitive sensing and open applications not currently possible with the present OCT, confocal microscopy or multiphoton microscopy technology. The method to be researched will allow versatile functionality in measurements, in 3D imaging of moving tissue and functional/low noise imaging by making use of angular compounding or polarisation. Novel directions are opened in the tracking of the axial position of objects (cornea or retina), automatic dispersion compensation as well as improvement in the synchronism between the coherence gate and the focus in axial scanning. Simultaneous measurements over multiple path lengths becomes feasible, with potential applications in high throughput sensing. The methods proposed open novel avenues in biosensing by amplification of tiny frequency shifts or tiny changes in the optical paths. Possible outcome are high sensitive biosensors, multiple imaging at different depths, fast and long range tracking, long axial scanning, coherence gated wavefront sensors with applications in vision sciences and microscopy, protein identification and contrast agents developments.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensorsbiosensors
- engineering and technologyenvironmental biotechnologybiosensing
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteins
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicineophthalmology
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsmicroscopyconfocal microscopy
Call for proposal
ERC-2009-AdG
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Funding Scheme
ERC-AG - ERC Advanced GrantHost institution
CT2 7NZ Canterbury, Kent
United Kingdom