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At least 433 records · Page 24Linked to original sources

Coherent spectroscopy in dissipative media: time-domain studies of channel phase and signal interferometry.

We extend a recently formulated coherence spectroscopy of dissipative media [J. Chem. Phys. 122, 084502 (2005)] from the stationary excitation limit to the time domain. Our results are based on analytical and numerical solutions of the quantum Liouville equation within the Bloch framework. It is shown that the short pulse introduces a new, controllable time scale that allows better insight into the relation between the coherence signal and the phase properties of the material system. We point to the relation between the time-domain coherence spectroscopy and the method of interferometric two-photon photoemission spectroscopy, and propose a variant of the latter method, where the two time-delayed excitation pathways are distinguishable, rather than identical. In particular, we show that distinguishability of the two excitation pathways introduces the new possibility of disentangling decoherence from population relaxation.

Chemistry, Physical↗

Measurements in the peripheral retina using LDF and laser interferometry are mainly influenced by the choroidal circulation.

PURPOSE: Two laser based methods for the assessment of ocular hemodynamics in humans have been investigated: laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) and laser interferometric measurement of fundus pulsation amplitude (FPA). When the laser with either of the two methods is focused onto the fovea it is obvious that only choroidal blood flow contributes to the signals. When the laser is, however, directed to other parts of the retina the situation is more complex. Whereas the retina shows a pronounced vasoconstrictor response to systemic hyperoxia the effect in the choroid is small. We therefore investigated the effect of 100% O2 breathing on results as obtained with the above mentioned techniques at different fundus locations. METHODS: Twelve healthy subjects were included. Four 15-minutes 100% O2 breathing periods were scheduled for each subject. During two of these breathing periods LDF was performed at the fovea (ChBFf) and at a fundus location approximately 7.5 degrees nasally to the fovea (ChBFp), respectively. During the other two periods FPA was assessed at the same fundus locations (FPAf, FPAp). RESULTS: ChBFf tended to decrease during 100% oxygen breathing (6 +/- 4%), but this effect was not significant. The decrease in ChBFp (10 +/- 4%), was comparable. FPAf (10 +/- 2%; P < 0.001) and FPAp (13 +/- 2%; P < 0.001) decreased significantly during systemic hyperoxia, but again there was no difference in the response obtained at the two fundus locations. CONCLUSION: When LDF and FPA are applied at the peripheral retina the obtained signal is mainly influenced by the choroidal circulation.

Adult↗

Physical properties of hydrated tissue determined by surface interferometry of laser-induced thermoelastic deformation.

Knee meniscus is a hydrated tissue; it is a fibrocartilage of the knee joint composed primarily of water. We present results of interferometric surface monitoring by which we measure physical properties of human knee meniscal cartilage. The physical response of biological tissue to a short laser pulse is primarily thermomechanical. When the pulse is shorter than characteristic times (thermal diffusion time and acoustic relaxation time) stresses build and propagate as acoustic waves in the tissue. The tissue responds to the laser-induced stress by thermoelastic expansion. Solving the thermoelastic wave equation numerically predicts the correct laser-induced expansion. By comparing theory with experimental data, we can obtain the longitudinal speed of sound, the effective optical penetration depth and the Grüneisen coefficient. This study yields information about the laser tissue interaction and determines properties of the meniscus samples that could be used as diagnostic parameters.

Elasticity↗

Measurement of the refractive indices of hydrogel materials by interferometry.

The purpose of this study was to measure the refractive indices of hydrophilic hydrogel materials of different equilibrium water content. The need to measure the refractive indices precisely has been an important factor in the design of soft hydrophilic lenses. The inaccuracy of measuring the refractive index of hydrogel materials using an Abbé refractometer led to the use of a Linnik micro-interferometer. The experimental results showed a close agreement to the theoretical data.

Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate↗

Low-coherence interferometry in coronary arteries.

LCI is an emerging intravascular diagnostic imaging technology. An LCI system could have a much higher resolution than intravascular ultrasound and may be capable of providing adequate diagnostic information about both geometry and morphology of diseased vessels. Soft plaque identification, thrombus detection, and assessment of the fibrotic cap covering the lesions may be possible. Fiber optic and micromechanical technologies involved in LCI provide an opportunity to build a very low-profile imaging catheter that can be incorporated into a guide wire and provide high-resolution imaging of the site of intervention before, during, and after intervention. Intravascular LCI is currently at a developmental stage with regard to its technology; so far no in-vivo measurements have been reported. It seems likely that the technical limitations can be overcome and that this will be an extremely useful diagnostic procedure in the future.

Coronary Disease↗

Multiple-beam X-ray interferometry for phase-contrast microtomography.

The first successful operation of an X-ray interferometer under conditions of non-planar three-beam diffraction for phase-contrast X-ray microtomography is reported. Intrinsic phase differences of the reflections used cancel from the three-dimensional phase image of the specimen. With simultaneous hkl and hkl reflections of a synchrotron radiation beam in a side-by-side geometry, the size of the usable field of view is doubled and the investigated specimen volume is increased by a factor of four. As an example, the reconstructed slice of a mouse kidney is shown in phase contrast at 71 keV. Optimized choices of three-beam reflections and matching interferometer geometries useful for applications are presented.

Animals↗

Pinhole interferometry with coherent hard X-rays.

This paper discusses the experimental realisation of two types of X-ray interferometer based on pinhole diffraction. In both interferometers the beam splitter was a thin metal foil containing micrometer pinholes to divide the incident X-ray wave into two coherent waves. The interference pattern was studied using an energy-dispersive detector to simultaneously investigate in a large spectral range the diffraction properties of the white synchrotron radiation. For a highly absorbing pinhole mask the interference fringes from the classical Young's double-pinhole experiment were recorded and the degree of coherence of X-rays could be determined. In the case of low absorption of the metal foil at higher X-ray energies (>15 keV) the interference pattern of a point diffraction interferometer was observed using the same set-up. The spectral refraction index of the metal foil was determined.

Equipment Design↗

No touch pulse measurement by optical interferometry.

Arterial pulsatility was measured using an optical interferometer. As opposed to laser Doppler flow meters, the prototype system we evaluated can detect pulsation profiles of major arteries with potentially useful information including pulse wave velocity, profile of pulse pressure, etc.

Adult↗

Characterization of MEMS transducer performance using near-field scanning interferometry.

Sophisticated ultrasonic transducer microarrays based on micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) technologies are quickly becoming a reality. A current challenge for many researchers is characterizing the dynamic performance of these and other micro-mechanical devices. In this work, the performance characteristics of a MEMS ultrasonic transducer array were successfully measured using a scanning heterodyne interferometer system. The dynamic response of the entire transducer array was measured, and the results were compared with theoretical predictions. Individual elements were found to vibrate with Bessel-like displacement patterns, and they were resonant at approximately 4 MHz. The full array showed variations in peak out-of-plane displacement levels across the device of 16%, and isolated elements that were dramatically overresponsive and under-responsive. The measured variations across the array may have an undesirable impact on the performance of the transducer and its radiated field.

Elasticity↗

Application of interferometry in quantitative histoenzymatic investigations.

The interferometric technique has been used to measure the alkaline phosphatase activity in the kidney and small intestine. The effect of post-mortem autolysis on the activity of this enzyme was checked in specimens taken from five normal rabbits. The results were entirely reproducible. The limitations of the method are discussed and the possible sources of error analysed.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

Measurement of specimen-induced aberrations of biological samples using phase stepping interferometry.

Confocal or multiphoton microscopes, which deliver optical sections and three-dimensional (3D) images of thick specimens, are widely used in biology. These techniques, however, are sensitive to aberrations that may originate from the refractive index structure of the specimen itself. The aberrations cause reduced signal intensity and the 3D resolution of the instrument is compromised. It has been suggested to correct for aberrations in confocal microscopes using adaptive optics. In order to define the design specifications for such adaptive optics systems, one has to know the amount of aberrations present for typical applications such as with biological samples. We have built a phase stepping interferometer microscope that directly measures the aberration of the wavefront. The modal content of the wavefront is extracted by employing Zernike mode decomposition. Results for typical biological specimens are presented. It was found for all samples investigated that higher order Zernike modes give only a small contribution to the overall aberration. Therefore, these higher order modes can be neglected in future adaptive optics sensing and correction schemes implemented into confocal or multiphoton microscopes, leading to more efficient designs.

Animals↗

Laser interferometry measurements of middle ear fluid and pressure effects on sound transmission.

An otitis media with effusion model in human temporal bones with two laser vibrometers was created in this study. By measuring the displacement of the stapes from the medial side of the footplate, the transfer function of the middle ear, which is defined as the displacement transmission ratio (DTR) of the tympanic membrane to footplate, was derived under different middle ear pressure and fluid in the cavity with a correction factor for cochlear load. The results suggest that the DTR increases with increasing frequency up to 4k Hz when the middle ear pressure was changing from 0 to 20 or -20 cm H20 (e.g., +/-196 daPa) and fluid level was increasing from 0 to a full middle ear cavity. The positive and negative pressures show different effects on the DTR. The effect of fluid on DTR varies between three frequency ranges: f < 1k, between 1k and 4k, and f > 4k Hz. These findings show how the efficiency of the middle ear system for sound transmission changes during the presence of fluid in the cavity and variations of middle ear pressure.

Bone Conduction↗

Acoustic vibration of the amphibian eardrum studied by white noise analysis and holographic interferometry.

The motion of the amphibian eardrum under free-field acoustic stimulation was investigated using time-averaged holography. We show that the amplitude is linearly related to sound pressure up to +/- 1000 nm. The frequency response of the eardrum shows broad resonance characteristics with a main peak between 1200-2200 Hz. The velocity of the tympanic membrane's motion at its resonance frequency matches the acoustic velocity of air particles. The resonance characteristics of the eardrum are also revealed by white noise stimulation. The power spectrum obtained by Fourier transformation of the autocorrelation of the response to noise resembles closely that obtained by holography.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

Trabecular structure: preliminary application of MR interferometry.

A new approach to probe the structure of trabecular bone in the vertebral bodies in humans was evaluated, and preliminary data are presented. The proposed method is based on the hypothesis that the presence of two physical phases--bone and bone marrow--causes a magnetic field distribution across the imaging voxel. The resulting spread in resonance frequency produces line broadening, which is measured as the decay rate of the region of interest signal intensity that has the properties of an interferogram. The interferogram is the result of two principal chemically shifted components of bone marrow--fat and water--getting in and out of phase with one another while being attenuated by T2* processes from the magnetic field distribution within the measuring volume. The time constant for the decay (T2*) can then be obtained by means of curve-fitting techniques. T2* in healthy persons is found to increase slightly with age. However, patients with osteoporosis (low bone mineral density and/or spine compression fractures) have significantly prolonged T2* values, which are interpreted as arising from an increase in the intertrabecular space.

Adolescent↗

Holographic interferometry of excimer-laser-ablated bovine eyes: first results.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of areal corneal ablations of different depth on the biomechanical properties of the cornea. METHOD: The qualitative change of the holographic interferometric fringe pattern of enucleated bovine corneas due to areal mechanical ablations (group A) of 35% and 70% depth of the central cornea and 15, 30, and 50% excimer laser ablations in each eye (group B) was investigated. RESULTS: Ablations of 50% (group B) and 70% (group A) showed a significant variation of the fringe pattern as an effect of the corneal weakening. 15% excimer laser ablations of 5 mm diameter did not result in noticeable changes of the fringe pattern. Half of the 30% ablated corneas in group B showed newly appearing fringes within the area of ablation, indicating a local reduction of the corneal stiffness after ablation. CONCLUSION: The thickness of the remaining tissue is very important for the biomechanical behavior of the cornea after areal ablations. There are interindividual differences regarding the change of material properties due to excimer laser ablation of 30% depth of ablation.

Animals↗