CEPS CDT MScMRes Project:
Image acquisition and processing with Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is an imaging technique that uses light to create 3D sub-surface images. OCT can be loosely described as an optical analog of radar or ultrasonic imaging. Research in OCT combines classical free-space optics, fiber-optics, photodetectors, high-speed electronics, and scientific programming. There are a broad range of applications for OCT, ranging from biomedical imaging to non-destructive testing (NDT) of industrial materials. In the biomedical area, OCT is widely used for imaging in eye diseases, and it is emerging as a technology for cardiovascular and cancer imaging.
Objectives:
The purpose of this project is to provide an introduction to OCT as a photonics system for 3D imaging. Students will use the backgrounds in linear systems (Fourier Transform) to process interferometric OCT data into depth-resolved images, with the potential for hands-on learning experience in the laboratory with the optical and electronic components of a real system.
Methods:
Research on OCT systems is broad, and the project will be tailored to the interests of the student. For students that are available for in-person laboratory experiential learning, initial project work may include building and aligning an OCT system from photonics components, integrating high performance photodectors with a computer, and programming coordinating signals between the connected components of an OCT system. Intermediate projects will include optical design of the light delivery sub-system, and experiments on photonic data acquisition and digital signal processing. For students that are not available to travel to the laboratory, remote aspects of this project will concentrate on the signal processing of OCT interferometric data. The initial steps will introduce the details of the data processing pipeline, with a detailed optimization of each step to transform detected signals into high resolution spatial images. Intermediate work may involve phase stabilization, analysis of speckle dynamics in the cross-sectional images to reveal motion contrast in the OCT images, and spectroscopic analysis.
Novelty:
The OCT research in this project description is at the core of many international biophotonics conferences and journals. The culmination of the project work, either based on laboratory experiments or data processing, have high novelty, with significant potential to present the results of this work at a conference and publish in a IEEE, SPIE, or Optica society journal.
Doctoral projects and Scholarships
Medical imaging with OCT, and novel approaches to medical image analysis are exciting topics for research. Students that are also interested in pursuing a PhD in optical medical imaging should consider applying to the EPSRC DPT. The application deadline (April 20, 2022) is rapidly approaching, but there is still plenty of time to submit a strong and coordinated application.