This proposal seeks funding for the purchase of the Nanotech 140GPM precision glass press molding equipment from Moore Nanotechnology Systems LLC to support NIH funded projects. This state-of-the-art instrument will greatly enhance our capabilities to rapidly prototype optical devices to accelerate progress of NIH-funded projects and extend our capabilities in developing new optical technologies for bio-imaging and clinical applications. Nanotech 140GPM, currently not available at University of Arizona (UA), can produce novel and complex glass micro optical elements which are essential for high image quality and high throughput biomedical imaging technologies, but cannot be fabricated by traditional grinding/polishing methods. Micro- optics, lens array, aspherical lens, freeform optics, and microfluidic microstructures are some examples that only the requested equipment can fabricate to speed up UA's NIH-funded projects and broaden the horizons of biomedical imaging research at UA. To support and to complement the Nanotech 140GPM, College of Optical Sciences committed to build a state- of-the-art precision optics facility dedicated to development, design, fabrication, testing and education of optical imaging technologies and devices for biomedical applications. This facility will include 140GPM precision glass press molding machine proposed in this proposal, Nanotech 350FG freeform generator the College committed to purchase, and 3D optical surface profilers current available at the College. The facility will provide a platform for rapid prototyping novel medical and biological imaging systems and will enable us to explore new design spaces, fabricate and test optical components and systems which have not been previously available. The research projects supported with the requested instrument covers both basic and translational research areas, including microendoscope for diagnosis of cancer, multimodal imaging, microfluidic system, hyperspectral imaging, microendoscope for diagnosis of Esophageal pathology, image guide surgery, high- resolution multi-color FLIM-FRET tomography, and others. The design methodologies, fabrication and testing technologies developed in this dedicated facility will greatly benefit researchers over the entire community of biomedical optical imaging. This facility will also provide an excellent opportunity to train the next generation of interdisciplinary scientists and engineers, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
