Abstract: A system for spatially mapping neurons in brain tissue is disclosed which includes a source of light configured to be shone on a subject at a first wavelength causing emission of light at a second wavelength from generating calcium when one or more neurons are firing, an optical filter configured to allow passage of light having the second wavelength, an image capture device configured to capture images of the brain tissue at the second wavelength, and a processor with software configured to establish a spatial model for localizing one or more neurons where captured images are used to iteratively adjust parameters of the model to thereby minimize error between generated and captured images.

Abstract: A method for identifying a source of florescence is disclosed which includes shining light on a subject at a first wavelength, causing emission of light at a second wavelength from the source of fluorescence, filtering out light at the first wavelength, capturing at least one 2 dimensional (2D) image of a subject having a plurality of pixels at the second wavelength, and establishing information about approximate location of a source of florescence within a tissue of the subject, selectively generating a 3D geometric model where the model is adapted to provide a model representation of the at least one 2D captured image, comparing the modeled at least one 2D captured image to the captured at least one 2D image and iteratively adjusting the model to minimize the difference, and outputting location and geometric configuration of the source of fluorescence within the tissue within the region of interest.

Abstract: An ultra-sensitive speckle-analyzing system is disclosed which includes an image capture device configured to receive a scattered field having a speckle configuration and thereby capture i) a reference speckle image, and ii) a subsequent speckle image, each of the reference and the subsequent speckle images having a plurality of speckles on a background; and a processor configured to generate a cross-correlation between the plurality of speckles of the reference and the subsequent speckle images, to thereby represent a change in the speckle configuration.

Abstract: An ultra-sensitive speckle-analyzing system is disclosed which includes an image capture device configured to receive a scattered field having a speckle configuration and thereby capture i) a reference speckle image, and ii) a subsequent speckle image, each of the reference and the subsequent speckle images having a plurality of speckles on a background; and a processor configured to generate a cross-correlation between the plurality of speckles of the reference and the subsequent speckle images, to thereby represent a change in the speckle configuration.

Abstract: A system for spatially mapping neurons in brain tissue is disclosed which includes a source of light configured to be shone on a subject at a first wavelength causing emission of light at a second wavelength from generating calcium when one or more neurons are firing, an optical filter configured to allow passage of light having the second wavelength, an image capture device configured to capture images of the brain tissue at the second wavelength, and a processor with software configured to establish a spatial model for localizing one or more neurons where captured images are used to iteratively adjust parameters of the model to thereby minimize error between generated and captured images.

Abstract: A method for identifying a source of florescence is disclosed which includes shining light on a subject at a first wavelength, causing emission of light at a second wavelength from the source of fluorescence, filtering out light at the first wavelength, capturing at least one 2 dimensional (2D) image of a subject having a plurality of pixels at the second wavelength, and establishing information about approximate location of a source of florescence within a tissue of the subject, selectively generating a 3D geometric model where the model is adapted to provide a model representation of the at least one 2D captured image, comparing the modeled at least one 2D captured image to the captured at least one 2D image and iteratively adjusting the model to minimize the difference, and outputting location and geometric configuration of the source of fluorescence within the tissue within the region of interest.

Abstract: An optically heterogeneous phantom structure for use in optical imaging techniques. The phantom structure includes an external shape simulating an object to be subjected to an optical imaging technique, the external shape defining an external surface that encloses an internal volume of the external shape; and an optically heterogeneous material filling the internal volume and having heterogeneous optical properties for simulating at least one optical parameter of at least one region within the object. A method of producing the optically heterogeneous phantom structure. The method includes selectively depositing precursors of a first material and a second material by 3D printing so that the precursor of the second material is surrounded by the precursor of the first material within a predetermined internal region of the precursor of the first material, and forming the phantom structure. Variations of the method include additives to the materials.

Abstract: An optically heterogeneous phantom structure for use in optical imaging techniques. The phantom structure includes an external shape simulating an object to be subjected to an optical imaging technique, the external shape defining an external surface that encloses an internal volume of the external shape; and an optically heterogeneous material filling the internal volume and having heterogeneous optical properties for simulating at least one optical parameter of at least one region within the object. A method of producing the optically heterogeneous phantom structure. The method includes selectively depositing precursors of a first material and a second material by 3D printing so that the precursor of the second material is surrounded by the precursor of the first material within a predetermined internal region of the precursor of the first material, and forming the phantom structure. Variations of the method include additives to the materials.

Abstract: A mode control device for operation at a selected wavelength in cooperation with first and second waveguides, integrates first and second adjacent layers for passing electromagnetic energy from the first waveguide to the second waveguide through the layers in series. In a first embodiment, the first and second layers are composed of materials having a distinct indices of refraction and are spaced apart a distance other than one-quarter of said selected wavelength. In a second embodiment, the layers are disks having distinct circular diameters.

Abstract: A method for designing an aperiodic grating structure for mode conversion and control which is based upon an inverse scattering optimization procedure. In accordance with this method, no predetermined shape or material variation of the grating structure is assumed. A constrained domain of all surfaces and material variations is searched to find an optimum aperiodic conversion surface profile for maximum conversion efficiency into the required output mode(s) or optimum control. Accordingly, the present method results in the design of rough surfaces or non-homogeneous structures for mode conversion and control. Because this method relies on scattering produced by short, forceful field perturbations, it is possible to achieve very small conversion lengths which are much less than one grating period.