 |
The pioneering work of determining the underlying biological mechanisms of disease and the lifesaving work of diagnosing and testing medical problems both rely on increasingly sophisticated imaging techniques and biomedical instruments designed and developed by engineers. The Cornell Biomedical Department’s or field’s unique facilities and extensive collaborations among engineers, physical scientists, life scientists, and clinicians provide superb opportunities to create and improve these tools.
At Cornell, biomedical imaging focuses on static and dynamic visualization of biological structures across scales. The spatial scales range from molecules and cells to organs and whole organisms while the temporal scales range from milliseconds to years. A wide range of imaging modalities and methods for achieving contrast are developed and used. Cornell is known for pioneering development and application of several imaging techniques including magnetic resonance imaging, electron microscopy and ultrasound, with a strong emphasis on in vivo optical imaging. Two-photon excited fluorescence microscopy, the technique of choice for in vivo microscopy, was developed at Cornell and has become a very active field here and at other universities. In addition to the development and use of new imaging hardware and techniques, Cornell researchers are pursuing the development of new image analysis methods and novel contrast agents for clinical and research use. Biomedical imaging is also tightly interconnected with other areas of biomedical engineering, providing in vitro and in vivo tools to evaluate biomaterials, validate system biology models, monitor drug delivery, and map biomechanical properties.
Non-imaging based instrumentation also plays a critical role in medical care and biomedical research. Using nanofabrication technology, researchers can construct miniaturized sensors or microelectromechanical systems for biological applications. Microfabricated devices to act as precise probes of biological responses in the brain and elsewhere are under development. New methods for efficient DNA sequencing are emerging, as well as new techniques for integrating optical devices for spectroscopy on femtoliter volumes. Cornell researchers are also gaining a better understanding of cardiology through increasingly sophisticated techniques for detecting and processing bioelectric signals.
