Our Vision
We are developing an innovative light sensing solution, a fast gated, ultra-high quantum efficiency single-photon sensor, to enable multifunctional deep body imaging with diffuse optics. With our Multifunctional Optical Tomograph (MOT) we will be able to image deep organ and optical structures and monitor body functions including oxygenation, haemodynamics, perfusion and metabolism.
Revolutionary new light sensing solution
With its innovative fast gated, ultra-high quantum efficiency single-photon sensor, the fastMOT project will enable the imaging of deep body structures and the monitoring of body functions.
100x improvement of signal-to-noise ratio
Implemented in the new Multifunctional Optical Tomograph, the light sensor will achieve a 100x improvement of signal-to-noise ratio compared to using existing light sensors.
Higher accuracy of non-invasive diagnosis
The proposed MOT has the potential to significantly improve the accuracy of non-invasive diagnosis and will make it possible to monitor body functions such as oxygenation, haemodynamics or perfusion.
Major impact on Numerous sectors
The new sensing technology will have a major impact on a wide range of sectors: not only will it improve microscopy and imaging performance, but it will also enable ground breaking applications that will lead to new insights and a major economic boost.
The Challenge
Traditional organ monitoring and deep-body functional imaging with ultrasound, X-ray (including CT), PET or MRI allow only very limited measurements of functionality and are usually combined with exogenous and radioactive agents.
To overcome this limitation, six partners, coordinated by the Dutch SME Single Quantum, have joined forces to develop an ultra-high performance light sensor in different imaging techniques to radically improve the performance of microscopy and imaging.
The novel sensor is based on superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors, which have been shown to be ultra-fast and highly efficient. However, the active area and number of pixels have so far been limited to micrometre diameters and tens of pixels.
The fastMOT consortium now aims at developing new techniques to overcome this limit and scale to 10,000 pixels and millimetre diameter. In addition, new strategies for performing time domain near infrared spectroscopy (TD-NIRS) and time domain speckle contrast optical spectroscopy (TD-SCOS) will be developed to optimally use this new light sensor with Monte-Carlo simulations.
OBJECTIVES
Develop a 10,000-pixel single-photon camera based on superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors, with >80% detection efficiency, <20 ps time resolution and <1ns deadtime able to count single photons in the wavelength range 700-1300 nm within a gating window of <400 ps (WP1 & 2)
Develop new strategies for readout and processing of TD-SCOS signals inside a biological tissue leading up to a 100x increase in the SNR – as compared to a state-of-the-art single-channel TD-SCOS system4 (WP3 & 4)
Develop and evaluate new algorithms and propose sensor characteristics to enable deep tissue imaging with MC Light Diffusion Modelling. (WP3)
Develop a fully automated 3D-tomograph for integrated TD-SCOS and TD-NIRS acquisitions complemented with 3D reconstruction. (WP4)
Validate the new technology in the laboratory including phantom and in vivo pilot studies (TRL4) and make it available to external users in the joint ICFO-CUSBO laboratory within the framework of Laserlab- Europe. (WP5 & 6)
Any questions?
We look forward to hearing from you: info@fastmot.eu
