Measuring blood oxygenation in vivo by photoacoustic imaging

Ben Cox (primary)
Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering
University College London
David Long (secondary)
Developmental Biology and Cancer Programme, Institute of Child Health
University College London

Abstract

Blood oxygenation is a critical measure of physiological function. However, there are very few techniques to reliably measure oxygenation non-invasively. In this interdisciplinary studentship, the student will undertake experimental imaging studies and computational modelling to develop a method to measure oxygenation using a novel technique called photoacoustic tomography. The technique will be tested in phantoms and the kidney, which has different regional areas of oxygenation related to its biological function and in models of hypoxia induced by chemical insults. If successful, this technique would revolutionise preclinical imaging techniques and could be applied to multiple physiological processes and pathological conditions.


References

  1. Cox, B.T., Laufer, J.G., Arridge, S.A, and Beard P.C., “Spectroscopic Quantitative Photoacoustic Imaging: A Review” Journal of Biomedical Optics, 17 (6), 61202, 12, (2012)
  2. Beard, P.C. “Biomedical photoacoustic imaging.” Interface Focus, 1, 602 – 631 (2011)
  3. Fonseca, M., Zeqiri, B., Beard, P., & Cox, B.T. “Characterisation of a phantom for Multiwavelength Quantitative Photoacoustic Imaging” Phys. Med. Biol., 61, 4950-4973 (2016) doi:10.1088/0031-9155/61/13/4950
  4. Long DA1, Norman JT, Fine LG. Restoring the renal microvasculature to treat chronic kidney disease. Nat Rev Nephrol. 2012 Feb 7;8(4):244-50.
  5. Yuan HT, Li XZ, Pitera JE, Long DA, Woolf AS. Peritubular capillary loss after mouse acute nephrotoxicity correlates with down-regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor-A and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha. Am J Pathol. 2003 Dec;163(6):2289-301.

BBSRC Area
Genes, development and STEM* approaches to biology
Area of Biology
Cell BiologyPhysiology
Techniques & Approaches
EngineeringImage ProcessingMathematics / StatisticsMolecular BiologySimulation / Modelling