Two devices in one: Metasurface could bring medical imaging to smaller sensors
Researchers have developed a technology for building more compact point-of-care medical imaging devices by creating a material that acts as two devices in one.
Researchers from the Australian Research Council Center of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems (TMOS) have developed a metasurface that can function as two devices simultaneously, bringing point-of-care medical imaging to smaller sensors. Metasurfaces, which consist of microscopic structures on an ultrathin surface, interact with light in unique ways not possible with natural materials.
This technology allows for the creation of phase-contrast images, which reveal the exact phase shifts of light through a sample, providing objective measurements of properties such as refractive index and dry tissue weights. These measurements are crucial for accurate disease diagnosis and research. The TMOS metasurface combines multiple nanophotonics advances on a single surface, enabling compact, fast, and field-deployable phase microscopy.
By engineering the metasurface to respond to specific wavelengths of light, researchers were able to incorporate differential phase contrast, reducing noise in the final images. This innovative design allows for quantitative phase microscopy (QPM) in a highly compact form factor, eliminating the need for physical alignment or component movement.
The potential applications of this technology include diagnosing diseases like sickle cell disease, various cancers, and neurodegenerative disorders by observing cell shape and growth patterns. Ultimately, smaller and more efficient imaging devices could make disease diagnosis and biological research more accessible, even in point-of-care settings.
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