Principal Investigator Peter So
Histological analysis is the clinical standard for assessing tissue health and the identification of pathological states. This analysis requires tissues to be excised, fixated, sectioned, stained and subsequently examined under a light microscope. The invasive nature of this process justifies development of a supplementary approach without excision. "Optical biopsy" is a promising alternative. Two-photon microscope allows in vivo imaging of cellular and extracellular matrix structures with sub-micron resolution inside intact 3-D tissue. While the utility of two-photon microscopy for biological studies has been clearly demonstrated in areas such as neurobiology and embryology, its clinical potential remains unrealized. In collaboration with Dr. Peter Kaplan (Unilever Edgewater Laboratory) and Dr. Christie Ammirati (Pennsylvania State University Medical School) to address this clinical need, we will develop and evaluate two-photon endoscopic systems. We will characterize the performance this device in tissue phantoms, animal models and excised human skin biopsy specimens.