The objective this research is to develop a nondestructive optical imaging system equipped with a miniature imaging probe that can be used for arthroscopic diagnosis and intervention of various articular joint diseases and injuries. The approach is to miniaturize the imaging probe by integrating a unique high-fill-factor two-axis MEMS mirror design with a novel packaging technique that requires no wire bonding to MEMS chips.
Intellectual Merits: The proposed optical imaging system is based on Fourier domain optical coherence tomography with polarization-sensitive and Doppler velocity measurement capabilities. Blood flow rate of menisci will be measured in real time. Thereby the proposed system can not only perform in vivo three-dimensional imaging of articular tissues (e.g. articular cartilage, meniscus, etc), but it can also simultaneously achieve high imaging speed, high spatial resolution and high contrast.
Broader Impacts: The success of the proposed miniature imaging probes can be immediately applied to early diagnosis of various cancers including gastrointestinal, bladder and prostate cancers by simply modifying the packaging. The ultra-small probe packaging technique may also enable MEMS mirror-based intravascular imaging for diagnosing and intervening heart diseases. The proposed imaging probes are portable and inexpensive, allowing more people to access medical care and have healthier life. The low-cost probes can be made disposable, which minimizes the risk of disease transmission. Activities are planned to increase engineering enrollment, promote minority students to attend engineering, and outreach to local middle-school and high-school students. The scientific discoveries and technical advancements will be disseminated via online, conference and journal publications.
