High intraocular pressure is a leading risk factor of glaucoma which is a leading cause of blindness. Aqueous humor drainage at the level of distal vasculature plays a critical role in the intraocular pressure regulation. This study reveals the biomechanical behaviors of these distal vasculature and the surrounding perilimbal sclera during intraocular pressure variation using optical resolution photoacoustic microscopy.

This lecture will describe my lab’s work to improve medicine with acoustic and photoacoustic imaging. First, I will describe engineered nanomaterials that report disease signatures through colorimetric or photoacoustic mechanisms. Second, I will discuss our work on new hardware and software tools to better acquire and process the data generated during imaging. Third, I will discuss human subjects work with these tools including for wound care and oral health.

This study presents two innovative methods for accurate temperature monitoring during medical treatments, which could significantly reduce the risk of cell and tissue damage from overheating. We focus on optically-detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) and a unique thermally sensitive Stokes shift in Raman response for real-time monitoring during the delivery of bioactive compounds and photothermal therapy.

Graphene oxide coated fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometers (FMZIs) are investigated in this study for their sensing applications. The FMZIs consist of fiber tapers fabricated by electric arc discharge. Graphene oxide, as a functional nanomaterial, is coated on FMZIs with controllable parameters. The transmission spectrum of such a nanomaterial coated FMZI is monitored as a function of environmental parameters. The applications of such a coated FMZI in sensing, including curvature sensing, are explored in this study.