"The Light Works: Non-invasive 3D optical imaging of tissue morphology and microcirculations in vivo"

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a new medical imaging modality in which the coherent interference of a wide spectrum light source is used to create a high resolution (micron-scale) subsurface image of tissue microstructure. Recently, we have supplemented the microstructural OCT images with additional contrast mechanisms such as blood flow imaging using static and motion contrast, which provide us the ability to perform label-free optical microangiography (OMAG) of microcirculatory tissue beds. The ability to visualize tissue blood flow at the microcirculation level is important in a variety of biomedical applications, some of which (along with the OCT basics and the enabling technologies) will be highlighted in this talk. Examples using OMAG to delineate the dynamic blood perfusion, down to capillary level resolution, within living tissue will be given, including cerebral blood flow in small animals, and retinal blood flow in humans.

Prof. Ricky Wang graduated from Tianjin University in 1988 with a B.Eng. in Manufacturing Engineering (with an emphasis on precision instruments), and continuing at Tianjin University, he completed his M.Sc. degree in Precision Measurement and Instrumentation in 1990. He then moved to Scotland for his research in optical information processing with Professor Chris Chatwin at Glasgow University, for which he received his PhD in 1995. After two years postdoctoral research training at Glasgow, he joined as a Lecturer, and then, Senior Lecturer in Bioimaging Science with Keele Medical School, England. In 2002, he became chair professor in Biomedical Optics with Cranfield University, England, where he created and directed Biophotonics and Imaging Laboratory. In 2005, he joined Oregon Health and Science University, Oregon, as professor in Biomedical Engineering, where he was the Director of Biophotonics and Imaging Laboratory. Currently, Dr Wang is professor with appointments in the Departments of Bioengineering and Ophthalmology at the University of Washington, and directs the Biophotonics and Imaging Laboratory. He is an elected fellow of Optical Society of America (OSA), International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE) and American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE).  His current research interests include biophotonics and imaging, optical coherence tomography, optical microangiography, photoacoustic imaging and their applications in neuroscience, ophthalmology, dermatology and cancer.