Leland Stanford Junior University

University of Toronto

Ofer Levi

James S Harris, Jr

Evan P Thrush

Krishna V Shenoy

Stephen J Smith

Elizabeth Alice Munro

Stepehn J Smith

The present invention uses vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) as illumination source for simultaneous imaging of blood flow and tissue oxygenation dynamics in vivo, or a means to monitor neural activity in brain slices ex vivo. The speckle pattern on the brain tissue due to a VCSEL's coherence properties is the main challenge to producing low-noise high-brightness illumination, required for evaluating tissue oxygenation. Moreover, using oxide-confined VCSELs we show a fast switching from a single-mode operation scheme to a special multi-modal, multi-wavelength rapid sweep scheme. The multi-modal, multi-wavelength rapid sweep scheme reduces noise values to within a factor of 40% compared to non-coherent LED illumination, enabling high-brightness VCSELs to act as efficient miniature light sources for various brain imaging modalities and other imaging applications. These VCSELs are promising for long-term portable continuous monitoring of brain dynamics in freely moving animals.

System and method for optical imaging with vertical cavity surface emitting lasers

Characteristics of biological substances, such as cerebral cortex matter, are sensed. According to an example embodiment, the present invention is directed to a negligibly-intrusive, multi-layer integrated circuit arrangement for monitoring activity of an area of a cerebral cortex that would normally be covered by an anatomical layer. The multi-layer integrated circuit arrangement includes an optics layer located outside the cerebral cortex area that includes an emitter and a detector. The optics layer is adapted for implantation in the anatomical layer and for sensing at least one brain-activity parameter. The multi-layered integrated circuit arrangement also includes a data-processing layer that includes a digital-processing circuit that is adapted for assimilating neural data in response to the optics layer sensing at least one brain-activity parameter.

Implantable sensing arrangement and approach

A variety of types of molecules are detected and/or analyzed using an integrated micro-circuit arrangement. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, a micro-circuit arrangement detects excitable target markers in response to an excitation source. The excitation source emits a first electromagnetic radiation to excite one or more target markers into emitting a second electromagnetic radiation. The excitation source and detector combination can be optimized to detect a specific characteristic of a biological specimen. In this manner, an excitation source can be combined with several optical-detectors or detection channels, where each optical-detector is measuring or sensing the same or different characteristic of the biological specimen.

Excitable target marker detection

Growing community of inventors

Los Altos, CA, United States of America

Ofer Levi