Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPTResearch project "OCTmapp"
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging technology that can be used to visualize the structures of scattering materials. The method is particularly suitable for the examination of organic tissue and the characterization of tissue morphologies and thus opens up the possibility of being able to detect cancerous tissue at an earlier stage of the disease, for example. Although OCT technology is considered the "gold standard" in specialist fields such as ophthalmology, the procedure is not yet established in other areas of application, as there is often a lack of reliable knowledge and suitable system designs. Thus, the need for research and development is particularly high. In the research project "Optical Coherence Tomography for New Medical Applications", or short "OCTmapp", potential areas of application for OCT technology were therefore identified.
The aim of the "OCTmapp" research project was also to establish a permanent research infrastructure and a research network on OCT for new medical applications in Japan. As part of the project, the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT expanded its existing relationship with the Institute for Advanced Biomedical Engineering and Science (ABMES) in Japan and the central research unit of Tokyo Women's Medical University (TWMU). The collaboration with the two research institutions aimed to expand the application knowledge of OCT technology in medicine to include clinical expertise.
New fields of application for OCT technology
Identifying new fields of application for the use of OCT technology, determining specific requirements, and carrying out initial tests with clinical and biomedical experts formed the basis of the project's research and aimed to provide new impetus for the development of the technology. Fields of application and research topics in biophotonics were identified as follows:
- Optical imaging modalities, such as fluorescence, endomicroscopy, non-linear microscopy and OCT
- Hyperspectral imaging
- Photoacoustic imaging
- Sensor technologies such as Raman spectroscopy including SERS or all optical/photonic approaches
- On-the-tip sensing: technologies using optical fibers (including their manufacture and assembly)
- Multiscale, multimodal integration combining the above-mentioned approaches
- Probes for in-situ/in-vivo devices for optical image stabilization, scanning,
mosaicing, etc. - Digital pathology (online decision aid).
The market for OCT systems in medicine is expected to expand steadily over the next few years. OCT technology will be used in new medical specialties, of which minimally invasive surgery and non-invasive applications will make up the majority. Its use as near-patient laboratory diagnostics will play another important role in its utilization.
Strengthening the German-Japanese research alliance
Beyond the further development of OCT technology for new medical applications, "OCTmapp" aimed to expand existing relationships towards a permanent research infrastructure in Japan and to establish a research network for biomedical applications in Japan.
The research partner in Japan, the Institute for Advanced Biomedical Engineering and Science, is the central research unit of Tokyo Women's Medical University and is one of the most highly regarded medical institutions with a worldwide reputation. The transfer of theoretical concepts into practice was supported by the Fraunhofer Center for International Management and Knowledge Economy IMW.
Through workshops, reciprocal visits and high-profile conferences ("Medical Imaging - New Perspectives and the Role of OCT", November 8, 2018 in Tokyo), the network has been expanded, particularly with companies, scientific institutions, funding bodies and clinical institutions, and is to be consolidated in the future with the establishment of the innovation network "German-Japanese Research Alliance for Biophotonics".
Partners
- Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT, Aachen, Germany
- Institute for Advanced Biomedical Engineering and Science, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
- Fraunhofer Center for International Management and Knowledge Economy IMW, Leipzig, Germany