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Edmund Koch
Optical Sensors and Monitors for Biomedical applications
Previous and current research
The work group “Clinical Sensoring and Monitoring” consists of staff with scientific and medical background. This combination matches the image as scientific-technical research department in immediate cooperation with medical research and direct contact with the clinic. Therefore there are various possibilities for research cooperation.
On the one hand we open up new fields of application in medicine for innovative technologies. On the other hand we invent and develop the appropriate methodology for medical problems.
Our main competence is the development of optical imaging modalities and sensors and their integration in apparatuses for living cells, isolated organs, in-vivo experiments and non-invasive human measurements.
The attained medical and technical research results are incorporated via existing industrial contacts e. g. into the improvement of existing or the development of new artificial ventilation and monitoring methods.
This is a selection of our activities:
- Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)
- OCT is an imaging modality that non-invasively generates cross-sectional tissue images. For this purpose spectral broadband near-infrared probe light is directly radiated into tissue up to a depth of 2 mm and there it is scattered at structural interfaces. The reflected light is brought to interference with a reference beam and information about depth and thickness of the scattering centre are acquired. With the help of a fast beam deflection cross-sectional images and volume images of the scattering intensity in tissue can be scanned.
Our compact OCT apparatus Dermaradar SR with a handheld scanner is used in dermatology for a study about natural UV protection of skin.
The next OCT apparatus generation „OCTAVIUS“ is designed for fast three-dimensional imaging and, amongst others, is used for measurements of alveolar dynamics in the perfused isolated lung and vasodynamics of murine blood vessels.- DFG main research "Protective ventilation strategies": The main research focuses on understanding the basic flow mechanical and medical processes in the lung and hence developing individual protective ventilation strategies. We want to model the flow mechanics of the alveoli and understand the cell-physiological influence of mechanical shear stress on the epithelium of the alveolar walls.
Therefore our group develops new imaging and cell cultivation modalities.
- Real-time and 3D OCT of the dynamics of subpleural alveoli of the ventilated and perfused isolated lung
- Cell cultur chamber for the application of strain and flow induced stress on lung epithelial cells at the air-liquid interface
- 3D microscopy (confocal and 2-photone laser-scanning-microscopy) of the alveolar surface geometry
- Lung cell protective effects of volatile anesthetic gases and perfluorhexane
- For examining the lung protective and antiinflammatory effects of gaseous applied perfluorhexane our work group has developed a cell culture apparatuse that allows the exposure of alveolar epithelial cells to different respiration gases at a liquid-air interface. In this apparatus the concentrations of perfluorhexane, oxygen, CO2, N2O and volatile anesthetic gases can be measured and automatically regulated by metered addition.
- Fluorescence microscopy in the isolated heart model
- Image analysis for application in the OCT (automatic segmentation) and of cell migration
Figure legend: 3D view of the alveoli of an isolated rabbit lung
Future prospects and goals
In the field of OCT we want to expand the applications in clinical and theoretical research. We are increasing the measurement speed to visualize dynamic processes in 3D and are developing new sensor heads for special applications.
Using our optical know-how and engineering skills we want to understand more details of processes leading to ventilator induced lung diseases and model the effects of mechanical stress on the alveolar tissue in order to develop strategies for a more protective ventilation.
Using spectroscopic imaging methods we want to visualize brain activity intraoperatively and show the size and extend of tumors to the surgeon.
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Selected publications
S. Meissner, L. Knels, A. Krueger, T. Koch, E. Koch: "Simultaneous 3D optical coherence tomography and intravital microscopy for imaging subpleural pulmonary alveoli in isolated rabbit lungs", accepted for publication in Journal of Biomedical Optics, (2009)S. Meissner, G. Mueller, J. Walther, H. Morawietz, E. Koch: "In vivo Fourier Domain Optical Coherence Tomography as new tool for investigation of vasodynamics in the mouse model", Journal of Biomedical Optics 14(3), 034027, (2009); DOI:10.1117/1.3149865
M. Mertens, A. Tabuchi, S. Meißner, A. Krüger, U. Kertzscher, A.R. Pries, K. Affeld, E. Koch, W.M. Kübler: "Alveolar dynamics in acute lung injury:heterogeneous distension rather than cyclic opening and collapse", Crit Care Med, Vol. 37 (9) (2009)
E. Koch, J. Walther, M. Cuevas: "Limits of Fourier Domain Doppler-OCT at high velocities", Sens. Actuators A: Phys. (2009), doi:10.1016/j.sna.2009.01.022
J. Walther, G. Mueller, H. Morawietz, E. Koch: "Analysis of in vitro and in vivo bidirectional flow velocities by phase-resolved Doppler Fourier-domain OCT", Sens. Actuators A: Phys. (2009), doi:10.1016/j.sna.2009.02.025.
G. Müller, S. Meissner, J. Walther, M. Cuevas, E.Koch, H. Morawietz "Analysis of murine vascular function in vivo by optical coherence tomography in response to high fat diet", Hor-mone and Metabolic Research 41(7), S. 537 - 541, (2009)