Advanced fibre based endoscopes for Brillouin imaging

Brillouin microscopy is an emerging technique that allows determination of mechanical properties of biological tissues on a micrometre scale. Our research group has pioneered this technique to determine the stiffness of artheroscrelotic plaques in mouse artery. These results revealed that artery walls have a complex mechanical structure with harder muscle tissues and softer lipid regions often layered. The measurements were carried out on excised artery tissues after microtome sectioning. We now would like to extend the method to permit in-vivo measurements. This is currently hindered by two limiting factors: the robustness of the spectrometer that lies in the heart of Brillouin imaging and the ability to deliver light to and collect from arteries. The currently ongoing design of more robust spectrometers opens the possibility of clinical applications. This project needs to be supplemented by the development of new endoscopes for both light delivery and collection, as well as for the provision of other services to the artery. This project is focused on the latter