bmdo technologies for biomedical applications - MDA Technology

ESSEX CORPORATION’SVIRTUAL LENS MICROSCOPE• This microscope will support newstandards in nondestructive analysis.BMDO HISTORYEssex Corporation (Columbia, MD) has developed a Virtual LensMicroscope (VLM), based on the principles of synthetic aperture radar(SAR), that can produce high-resolution 3-D images in a few seconds. Themicroscope uses coherent light, in tandem with Essex’s patented ImSynimage processor, to produce holographic images with a resolution of onequarterthe incident wavelength used toilluminate the object. BMDO sponsored theAntony van Leeuwenhoekdevelopment of a wideband range-Dopplerimager for ground-based radar, from whichfirst observed “animal-both ImSyn and the VLM resulted.cules” in the 17th centurywith a magnifying lens, notthe compound microscopeof his British contemporary,Robert Hooke.However, Leeuwenhoek’slens-grinding skill andacute eyesight allowedhim better resolution withhis one-lens system thanwith the inferior two-lenssystem of the period.HOW IT WORKSThe VLM can operate in the ultraviolet, visible,infrared, and microwave regions of thespectrum. Thus if the operating wavelengthis in the ultraviolet sector, objects as smallas 70 nanometers, or one-hundredth thediameter of a human hair, can be resolved.The VLM’s resolution is also independent ofworking distance, so very small images canbe resolved from several inches away. TheImSyn optoelectronic processor uses a twodimensional,discrete Fourier transformalgorithm to produce a 256 x 256 pixel, 32-bit complex-valued transform (equivalentto 65,536 samples processed) in as little as50 milliseconds. Conventional methodssuch as data regridding followed by a fastFourier transform image reconstruction arenot rapid enough to provide the highthroughput and rapid data processingneeded for a variety of imaging modalities,including VLM, spiral magnetic resonanceimaging, and computed tomography.26MEDICAL SIGNIFICANCEA nondestructive microscope that can image features as small as 70nanometers would be ideal for viewing cell organelles, chromosomes, andorganic molecules. Unlike electron microscopes, which require considerablealteration of the sample, or two-photon confocal microscopes, whichhave problems with photobleaching (image washout), the VLM can providea three-dimensional view of living matter with minimal preparation.Researchers in molecular genetics, cellular and molecular biology, allChapter 2 - Observation TechnologiesSection A - DetectionBMDO Technologies for Biomedical Applications