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SUMMARY:Scanning Acoustic Microscopy Applied to Biomedical Specimen - Prof
  Chiaki Miyasaka - Pennsylvania State University
DTSTART:20070806T131500Z
DTEND:20070806T140000Z
UID:TALK7787@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:6312
DESCRIPTION:In recent years\, many new treatment methods and new medicatio
 ns have been developed in the biomedical field.  Obviously\, their effects
  and side effects need to be studied qualitatively and quantitatively.  Co
 nventional optical microscopes are often used for obtaining such data from
  cells or tissues taken from patients as specimens.  However\, in most of 
 the cases\, the tissues or the cells need to be chemically stained and/or 
 fixed for optical microscopic observation.  Staining and/or fixation usual
 ly kills cells.  Therefore\, when those techniques are applied\, it is dif
 ficult to understand the real effects of the medication or the treatment\,
  because the transformation in the tissue may only be visible in living ce
 lls.\n\nAn ultrasonic image is formed by reflected ultrasonic waves which 
 are based on elastic properties of the living cells and/or the tissues.  T
 herefore\, staining is not required for scanning acoustic microscope (here
 inafter called simply “SAM”).  Hence\, living cells and tissues can be
  observed.  Furthermore\, SAM can observe not only the surface but also th
 e internal structure of the specimen with sub-micrometer resolution.  Scan
 ned images from the surface and internal structures can be combined to for
 m a 3D image for better visualization.  The SAM also has capabilities to m
 easure mechanical properties (e.g.\, attenuation\, velocity or the like) o
 f the cells and/or tissues.  Several investigators\, including our group\,
  have described the clinical applications of scanning acoustic microscopy.
   Subsurface imaging of thin and thick biological specimens is critical to
  the potential in VIVO application of this technique.  However\, conventio
 nal SAM has not optimized those capabilities for biomedical\, especially c
 linical applications.  High-frequency imaging (frequency ranging from 100M
 Hz to 1.0GHz) would provide a powerful tool that would permit high-resolut
 ion imaging to visualize cellular interactions in complex microenvironment
 s. 
LOCATION:Engineering Department - Room LR 5
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