What are you wondering about fluorescent probes in advanced microscopy applications? Tomorrow you'll have the chance to ask an expert in the field.
Join me and Mike Davidson, who heads the optical microscopy department of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at Florida State University, for an interactive webcast at 3pm ET. Mike will be advising us How to Choose Probes for Super-Resolution Microscopy (http://www.bioopticsworld.com/webcasts/2011/11/probes-for-super-resolution-microscopy.html), and his presentation will conclude with a Q&A session.
In recent years, life scientists have seen a dramatic advances in tools for fluorescent microscopy - both in terms of probes and instruments. The changes have enabled work previously only dreamed of: examination of molecular interactions with localization specificity, at resolutions approaching an order of magnitude beneath the classical diffraction limit.
Come hear Davidson, a renowned microscopist, discuss the various modes of super-resolution imaging and advances in probe development for each one - and bring your questions. Hope to see you there.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
First optogenetics system
Optogenetics has been a hot topic at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting for the past few years. Now, with the 2011 edition, the event has seen the first introduction of an optogenetics-specific product.
The Spectralynx system aims to facilitate "a turnkey, out-of-the-box experience with optogenetic hardware and software," at a lower price than multiple-laser systems. Offering power OVER 100 mW/mm2, the unit comes in two- (orange and blue) and four- (plus green and red) color versions. Both versions can be expanded up to seven colors, and all colors can be pulsed up to 5 kHz at full power.
The system, offered by Neuralynx (Bozeman, MT), was designed by Alex Cadotte, Ph.D., a biomedical engineer who used optogenetics for his neuroscience research in Pediatric Neurology at the University of Florida. Cadotte says that because no turnkey option existed, the learning curve for doing optogenetics was steep and time-consuming. Moving to industry, he sought to create an easy to use, integrated solution, and found a willing partner in Neuralynx, provider of recording systems for electrophysiology and neuroscience research.
The Spectralynx system aims to facilitate "a turnkey, out-of-the-box experience with optogenetic hardware and software," at a lower price than multiple-laser systems. Offering power OVER 100 mW/mm2, the unit comes in two- (orange and blue) and four- (plus green and red) color versions. Both versions can be expanded up to seven colors, and all colors can be pulsed up to 5 kHz at full power.
The system, offered by Neuralynx (Bozeman, MT), was designed by Alex Cadotte, Ph.D., a biomedical engineer who used optogenetics for his neuroscience research in Pediatric Neurology at the University of Florida. Cadotte says that because no turnkey option existed, the learning curve for doing optogenetics was steep and time-consuming. Moving to industry, he sought to create an easy to use, integrated solution, and found a willing partner in Neuralynx, provider of recording systems for electrophysiology and neuroscience research.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Correlative microscopy a theme at Neuroscience 2011
One of the themes here at Neuroscience 2011 is correlative microscopy--the integration of electron and light microscopy--evidenced by yesterday's announcement that FEI Company, developer of electron and ion-beam microscopes, is acquiring Till Photonics from Toptica. The announcement came about one hour after the conclusion of a press conference by Carl Zeiss Microscopy--the company that has resulted from the merger of Carl Zeiss MicroImaging (which focused on light microscopy) with Carl Zeiss NTS (nanotechnology systems, focused on electron and charged-particle microscopy).
Monday, October 17, 2011
Drexler webcast looks at future of OCT
I'm excited that today (Monday, October 17) at 3 pm ET, Wolfgang Drexler, one of the scientists who pioneered optical coherence tomography (OCT) will deliver online his presentation that drew a standing room-only audience at the 2011 Laser World of Photonics event. Fasten your seatbelt--this is a fast-paced ride through the key technological and market developments that brought us to where we are today, and that portend the future of OCT and how it will likely impact medical imaging for a range of specialties.
Dr. Drexler is the Director of the Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University Vienna in Vienna, Austria.
Register now for the webcast so that even if you can't make it to the live event, you'll receive a link to the archive once it is posted: click here.
According to the report "Optical Coherence Tomography 2010: Technology, Applications, and Markets" by Strategies Unlimited, the global market for OCT grew from less than $10 million in 2001 to more than $275 million in 2009. By 2012 the market is expected to reach nearly $800 million.
Dr. Drexler is the Director of the Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University Vienna in Vienna, Austria.
Register now for the webcast so that even if you can't make it to the live event, you'll receive a link to the archive once it is posted: click here.
According to the report "Optical Coherence Tomography 2010: Technology, Applications, and Markets" by Strategies Unlimited, the global market for OCT grew from less than $10 million in 2001 to more than $275 million in 2009. By 2012 the market is expected to reach nearly $800 million.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Biomedical keynotes highlight top growth areas at Laser World of Photonics 2011
Laser World of Photonics 2011 definitely seemed larger than the 2009 event--and the final tally confirmed that indeed it was. The top two growth areas were medical technology and biophotonics, according to Messe Muenchen GmbH; this year’s conference and exhibition attracted not only 8% more visitors (for a total of 27,500) but also a record number of exhibitors (1100).
The event celebrated the 20th anniversary of optical coherence tomography (OCT) with a CLEO Europe and European Conference on Biomedical Optics (ECBO) co-sponsored technology and applications tutorial by OCT pioneer Jim Fujimoto. The MIT professor drew a standing-room-only crowd; so did the two ECBO plenary talks. One, by another OCT powerhouse, Wolfgang Drexler of the Medical University of Wein (Austria), whisked audience members through OCT history highlights, and painted an enthusiastic picture of future technology and market development.
The other ECBO plenary featured Prof. Mary-Ann Mycek of the University of Michigan (USA) discussing an optical spectroscopy technique that offers exciting promise for early detection of pancreatic cancer.
The event celebrated the 20th anniversary of optical coherence tomography (OCT) with a CLEO Europe and European Conference on Biomedical Optics (ECBO) co-sponsored technology and applications tutorial by OCT pioneer Jim Fujimoto. The MIT professor drew a standing-room-only crowd; so did the two ECBO plenary talks. One, by another OCT powerhouse, Wolfgang Drexler of the Medical University of Wein (Austria), whisked audience members through OCT history highlights, and painted an enthusiastic picture of future technology and market development.
The other ECBO plenary featured Prof. Mary-Ann Mycek of the University of Michigan (USA) discussing an optical spectroscopy technique that offers exciting promise for early detection of pancreatic cancer.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Ready for Laser World of Photonics 2011
Laser World of Photonics Congress, a biennial event, starts on May 23rd in Munich, Germany, and I'll be reporting from the show. A major focus of this huge expo and conference is biophotonics, as I discovered when I attended in 2009. One thing I enjoyed during that visit was the series of application panels in the exhibit hall that were offered in addition to the conference. Laser World of Photonics will offer these panels again this year, bringing technology developers together with clinicians for exploration of real needs that technology can help address. The life sciences panels will cover the application of biophotonics in four general areas:
+ Lasers for Analytical Bioinstrumentation and Bioimaging
+ Diagnostics and Therapy in Medicine
+ Visions for Future Diagnostics—Oncology
+ Visions for Future Diagnostics—Infectious Diseases
A number of exciting announcements emerged from the 2009 Laser World of Photonics Congress, including scientific CMOS (sCMOS), which has since hit the market in the form of cameras from Andor, Cooke, and Hamamatsu. Stay tuned to BioOptics World for news from the 2011 event!
+ Lasers for Analytical Bioinstrumentation and Bioimaging
+ Diagnostics and Therapy in Medicine
+ Visions for Future Diagnostics—Oncology
+ Visions for Future Diagnostics—Infectious Diseases
A number of exciting announcements emerged from the 2009 Laser World of Photonics Congress, including scientific CMOS (sCMOS), which has since hit the market in the form of cameras from Andor, Cooke, and Hamamatsu. Stay tuned to BioOptics World for news from the 2011 event!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Previewed at BiOS '11-Part 2
Among the products previewed in the BiOS 2011 exhibits was Oxxius’s 588 nm laser, which provides up to 50 mW of power. This is an upcoming addition to the company’s LaserBoxx laser diode product line that offers wavelengths from the ultraviolet (375 nm) all the way up to 785 nm, and is targeted to biotechnology applications.
Oxxius said that its SLIM DPSS laser line (already released) was getting a lot of attention from BiOS attendees; in particular, the 553 nm wavelength model, with up to 200 mW of power, which the company says is unique in the market. The SLIM light sources are offered in various versions: a plug-and-play version, an OEM version (for system integration), a CDRH-compliant version (for academic users), and "low noise" and "single longitudinal mode" versions.
Oxxius said that its SLIM DPSS laser line (already released) was getting a lot of attention from BiOS attendees; in particular, the 553 nm wavelength model, with up to 200 mW of power, which the company says is unique in the market. The SLIM light sources are offered in various versions: a plug-and-play version, an OEM version (for system integration), a CDRH-compliant version (for academic users), and "low noise" and "single longitudinal mode" versions.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Webcast provides great OCT update and overview
What will be the next successful commercial application of optical coherence tomography (OCT)? "I expect it will be GI (gastrointestinal) or perhaps pulmonary" imaging, says Greg Smolka, author of the research report Optical Coherence Tomography 2010: Technology, Applications, and Markets.
In a webcast today, Smolka talked about signs to look for to determine which application is really gaining traction. He also recapped some recent progress in technology (e.g., combining OCT with other imaging modalities) and markets/applications (the FDA approved OCT for 3 additional specialty applications in 2010-and more approvals are coming).
Listening to Smolka's presentation, I was reminded how truly important OCT is--how its speed and resolution empower medical clinicians in critical ways. And though it's made an enormous impact in ophthalmology already, its true utility has yet to be understood. Get ready for a fascinating ride.
Those registered for the event can get a 20% discount on a report ordered within 2 weeks of today's broadcast (courtesy of Strategies Unlimited). The full presentation itself will be posted within 24 hours.
In a webcast today, Smolka talked about signs to look for to determine which application is really gaining traction. He also recapped some recent progress in technology (e.g., combining OCT with other imaging modalities) and markets/applications (the FDA approved OCT for 3 additional specialty applications in 2010-and more approvals are coming).
Listening to Smolka's presentation, I was reminded how truly important OCT is--how its speed and resolution empower medical clinicians in critical ways. And though it's made an enormous impact in ophthalmology already, its true utility has yet to be understood. Get ready for a fascinating ride.
Those registered for the event can get a 20% discount on a report ordered within 2 weeks of today's broadcast (courtesy of Strategies Unlimited). The full presentation itself will be posted within 24 hours.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Previewed at BiOS ’11--Part 1
During BiOS/Photonics West 2011, I got to see a number of newly released products (see recent new product postings and stay tuned for later blog entries)--and to preview products not yet available.
During BiOS/Photonics West 2011, I got to see a number of newly released products (see recent new product postings and stay tuned for later blog entries)--and to preview products not yet available.
For instance, I learned about the latest version of Imagine Eyes’s rtx1 Adaptive Optics Retinal Camera, for which they had just received the first orders. The first device of its kind as far as I know, it features automated adaptive optics and captures en face cellular-level images of the retina in vivo without pupil dilation. It reportedly can discern things that optical coherence tomography (OCT) and scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) cannot, and produces 1200 x 1200 micron images that can be tiled together to view larger areas. Imagine Eyes is now marketing to researchers, and expects FDA approval in about a year. Meantime the company is building a morphological image database and gathering feedback from clinical partners including France’s national ophthalmic center.
During BiOS/Photonics West 2011, I got to see a number of newly released products (see recent new product postings and stay tuned for later blog entries)--and to preview products not yet available.
For instance, I learned about the latest version of Imagine Eyes’s rtx1 Adaptive Optics Retinal Camera, for which they had just received the first orders. The first device of its kind as far as I know, it features automated adaptive optics and captures en face cellular-level images of the retina in vivo without pupil dilation. It reportedly can discern things that optical coherence tomography (OCT) and scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) cannot, and produces 1200 x 1200 micron images that can be tiled together to view larger areas. Imagine Eyes is now marketing to researchers, and expects FDA approval in about a year. Meantime the company is building a morphological image database and gathering feedback from clinical partners including France’s national ophthalmic center.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Report from Biomedical Optics Symposium (BiOS)/Photonics West--Part 2
Even though it most definitely exists, “the cost benefit of most clinical biophotonics technology is not well documented,” said Brian C. Wilson (Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto) in his informative presentation during Monday's Lasers and Photonics Marketplace Seminar.
Even though it most definitely exists, “the cost benefit of most clinical biophotonics technology is not well documented,” said Brian C. Wilson (Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto) in his informative presentation during Monday's Lasers and Photonics Marketplace Seminar.
On Tuesday, two plenary sessions took place: Frances S. Ligler, the Navy’s Senior Scientist for Biosensors and Biomaterials and current Chair of the Bioengineering Section of the National Academy of Engineering, presented a Perspective on the Future of Optical Biosensors. And Harold G. Craighead, Director of the Nanobiotechnology Center at Cornell University, explored the use of nanostructures for biological research.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Report from Biomedical Optics Symposium (BiOS)/Photonics West--Part 1
Tonight's Hot Topics session packed a lot of information—and innovation—into just over 2 hours. It included a tribute not originally planned, but certainly appropriate, in honor of Britton Chance, who passed away in November 2010. Bruce Tromberg (University of California Irvine) and Arjun Yodh (University of Pennsylvania) concluded their homage to the prolific researcher by proposing a new unit of measurement: the Britton Chance Unit (BCU), equal to 100 milliwatts/square cm, which is the maximum exposure intensity for biological tissue damage.
Tonight's Hot Topics session packed a lot of information—and innovation—into just over 2 hours. It included a tribute not originally planned, but certainly appropriate, in honor of Britton Chance, who passed away in November 2010. Bruce Tromberg (University of California Irvine) and Arjun Yodh (University of Pennsylvania) concluded their homage to the prolific researcher by proposing a new unit of measurement: the Britton Chance Unit (BCU), equal to 100 milliwatts/square cm, which is the maximum exposure intensity for biological tissue damage.
Tomorrow (Sunday) will see the unveiling of an International Microcirculation Imaging Lab by a panel of researchers from key facilities in Europe and North America. “The vital role of the microcirculation in every organ of the body provides extraordinary opportunities for health impact, especially personalized healthcare,” says Martin Leahy, a conference chair. He explains that the ability of optical technologies to now provide “exquisite 3D images of the smallest blood vessels at clinically important depths,” enable detection of changes before any clinical signs, and prediction the onset of blindness and ulceration.
Also on the agenda for Sunday is an invited presentation by the Northwestern University team that recently proved able to detect early signs of lung cancer in humans by examining cells scraped from the patients’ cheeks.
Tonight's Hot Topics session packed a lot of information—and innovation—into just over 2 hours. It included a tribute not originally planned, but certainly appropriate, in honor of Britton Chance, who passed away in November 2010. Bruce Tromberg (University of California Irvine) and Arjun Yodh (University of Pennsylvania) concluded their homage to the prolific researcher by proposing a new unit of measurement: the Britton Chance Unit (BCU), equal to 100 milliwatts/square cm, which is the maximum exposure intensity for biological tissue damage.
Tomorrow (Sunday) will see the unveiling of an International Microcirculation Imaging Lab by a panel of researchers from key facilities in Europe and North America. “The vital role of the microcirculation in every organ of the body provides extraordinary opportunities for health impact, especially personalized healthcare,” says Martin Leahy, a conference chair. He explains that the ability of optical technologies to now provide “exquisite 3D images of the smallest blood vessels at clinically important depths,” enable detection of changes before any clinical signs, and prediction the onset of blindness and ulceration.
Also on the agenda for Sunday is an invited presentation by the Northwestern University team that recently proved able to detect early signs of lung cancer in humans by examining cells scraped from the patients’ cheeks.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Gearing up for Biomedical Optics Symposium (BiOS)/Photonics West--Part 2
The tribute to MIT's Michael S. Feld, which will kick off the BiOS Hot Topics session on Saturday night, will be followed by seven other presentations, including one by David Huang, a pioneer of optical coherence tomography, who will discuss new OCT developments impacting that technology’s original application: Ophthalmology.
The tribute to Michael S. Feld, which will kick off the BiOS Hot Topics session on Saturday night, will be followed by seven other presentations, including one by David Huang, a pioneer of optical coherence tomography, who will discuss new OCT developments impacting that technology’s original application: Ophthalmology.
In addition, we'll get to hear about fluorescence lifetime techniques for intravascular diagnostics (presented by Laura Marcu of the University of California/Davis), using light to control the brain (by MIT’s Ed Boyden), and novel uses of femtosecond laser pulses (by Harvard’s Eric Mazur), and clinical multiphoton tomography (by Karsten Koenig, of Saarland University and JenLab GmbH—who won a 2010 Berthold Leibinger award 2010 Berthold Leibinger award for this work). Paras Prasad, of the University of Buffalo, will discuss a multiplex platform for analyzing macromolecular dynamics in live cells (while on Sunday, Prasad will deliver a keynote exploring the impact of multiphoton microscopy and multimodal imaging on 21st century healthcare).
Also part of Hot Topics will be a presentation by Alexander Oraevsky of Fairway Medical Technologies on 3-D optoacoustic tomography. While photoacoustics technology is only just beginning to enter the commercial market, it is an area of great interest and dynamism: The BiOS “Photons Plus Ultrasound” conference attracted nearly 30% more papers and almost 40% greater audience in 2010, over already-impressive increases in 2009. This year, Oraevsky chairs a Tuesday session on novel methods and technologies that will include a University of Michigan team discussing a photonic crystal-metallic structure able to produce an ultrasound signal at nearly the same frequency spectrum as the input laser pulse.
The tribute to Michael S. Feld, which will kick off the BiOS Hot Topics session on Saturday night, will be followed by seven other presentations, including one by David Huang, a pioneer of optical coherence tomography, who will discuss new OCT developments impacting that technology’s original application: Ophthalmology.
In addition, we'll get to hear about fluorescence lifetime techniques for intravascular diagnostics (presented by Laura Marcu of the University of California/Davis), using light to control the brain (by MIT’s Ed Boyden), and novel uses of femtosecond laser pulses (by Harvard’s Eric Mazur), and clinical multiphoton tomography (by Karsten Koenig, of Saarland University and JenLab GmbH—who won a 2010 Berthold Leibinger award 2010 Berthold Leibinger award for this work). Paras Prasad, of the University of Buffalo, will discuss a multiplex platform for analyzing macromolecular dynamics in live cells (while on Sunday, Prasad will deliver a keynote exploring the impact of multiphoton microscopy and multimodal imaging on 21st century healthcare).
Also part of Hot Topics will be a presentation by Alexander Oraevsky of Fairway Medical Technologies on 3-D optoacoustic tomography. While photoacoustics technology is only just beginning to enter the commercial market, it is an area of great interest and dynamism: The BiOS “Photons Plus Ultrasound” conference attracted nearly 30% more papers and almost 40% greater audience in 2010, over already-impressive increases in 2009. This year, Oraevsky chairs a Tuesday session on novel methods and technologies that will include a University of Michigan team discussing a photonic crystal-metallic structure able to produce an ultrasound signal at nearly the same frequency spectrum as the input laser pulse.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Gearing up for Biomedical Optics Symposium (BiOS)/Photonics West--Part 1
This weekend I'll be attending the Biomedical Optics Symposium (BiOS), which now represents 45% of the educational content at Photonics West. Saturday night will find me at the appropriately named Hot Topics plenary, which promises to deliver "the latest technical breakthroughs and directions from leading worldwide experts.” Each year, this plenary showcases some of the most interesting work underway—mostly in research, but also in the commercial realm.
This weekend I'll be attending the Biomedical Optics Symposium (BiOS), which now represents 45% of the educational content at Photonics West. Saturday night will find me at the appropriately named Hot Topics plenary, which promises to deliver "the latest technical breakthroughs and directions from leading worldwide experts.” Each year, this plenary showcases some of the most interesting work underway—mostly in research, but also in the commercial realm.
This year’s Hot Topics will begin with a tribute to Michael Feld, the MIT professor who pioneered the application of spectroscopy to biomedicine. Not long after BiOS 2010, Feld lost his battle with cancer, but his presence is still with us, as will be demonstrated in a discussion of recent work that promises to overcome obstacles to the long-anticipated promise of noninvasive glucose monitoring and tomographic cell imaging.
This weekend I'll be attending the Biomedical Optics Symposium (BiOS), which now represents 45% of the educational content at Photonics West. Saturday night will find me at the appropriately named Hot Topics plenary, which promises to deliver "the latest technical breakthroughs and directions from leading worldwide experts.” Each year, this plenary showcases some of the most interesting work underway—mostly in research, but also in the commercial realm.
This year’s Hot Topics will begin with a tribute to Michael Feld, the MIT professor who pioneered the application of spectroscopy to biomedicine. Not long after BiOS 2010, Feld lost his battle with cancer, but his presence is still with us, as will be demonstrated in a discussion of recent work that promises to overcome obstacles to the long-anticipated promise of noninvasive glucose monitoring and tomographic cell imaging.
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