Miniature liquid-lens endoscope for clearer internal images
Low-voltage liquid lens enabled endoscopic optical coherence tomography
This project builds a smaller, faster endoscope using a low-voltage liquid lens to capture high-resolution images of tissues for people with heart disease, cancer, or neurological conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Colorado NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boulder, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11257335 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are creating a tiny forward-viewing endoscope that uses an electrowetting liquid lens to steer the imaging beam without bulky moving parts. They will combine this lens with micro-optical coherence tomography (µOCT) to capture high-speed, 3-D tissue images and will test performance at kilohertz speeds. Early validation will use laboratory tissue phantoms before integrating the lens into a miniaturized probe. The team aims to adapt the system for imaging in cardiovascular, cancer, and neurological procedures.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be patients undergoing cardiovascular, cancer, or neurological surgeries where a small forward-looking imaging probe could assist treatment decisions.
Not a fit: Patients who do not require internal imaging or who are treated non-surgically are unlikely to benefit from this early-stage device.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the device could give surgeons real-time, microscopic views inside the body to improve diagnosis and guidance during procedures for cancer, heart disease, and neurological disorders.
How similar studies have performed: High-resolution OCT is clinically established, but combining µOCT with a low-voltage electrowetting liquid lens for a tiny forward-viewing endoscope is new and largely untested in humans.
Where this research is happening
Boulder, UNITED STATES
- University of Colorado — Boulder, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gopinath, Juliet — University of Colorado
- Study coordinator: Gopinath, Juliet
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.