The Micro-Nano Innovation Lab ("mini lab") investigates multidisciplinary approaches to develop new intelligent sensing and robotic strategies in micro/nano scales.

Head of Group

Dr Jang Ah Kim

B414A Bessemer Building
South Kensington Campus

 

 

What we do

The Micro-Nano Innovation Lab ("mini lab") investigates multidisciplinary approaches to develop new intelligent sensing and robotic strategies in micro/nano scales. We study nanotechnology, light-matter interactions, micro-particle dynamics, microscale fluid dynamics, and bioengineering to reach our goal. The research involves the design and manufacture of micro/nano systems for diagnostics (e.g. infections, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases) and microscopic therapies/surgeries (e.g. localised drug delivery, novel minimally invasive procedures).

Why it is important?

Timely identification of illnesses, less intrusive interventions, and precise/personalised treatments in challenging areas within our bodies, like narrow blood vessels, are essential technologies for improved healthcare management. The foundation for empowering these technologies lies in the development of devices capable of sensitively detecting disruptions in microenvironments that impact normal physiology and of precisely addressing these issues via targeted drug delivery, surgery, etc. at the cellular and molecular levels (micro/nano scales). Understanding the pathophysiology and engineering of the designs and functionalities of such devices accordingly is, thus, vital to enhancing current medical technology. Also, this has the potential to drive the development of advanced medical micro-robots with integrated sensing and therapeutic capabilities, offering new opportunities for future advancements in healthcare.

How can it benefit patients?

Early detection of diseases followed by minimally invasive, targeted and personalised therapy can have evident advantages for patients in terms of prognosis, health management, and economic implications. First, it can reduce excessive physical and biochemical alterations to the microenvironments, e.g., scarring after resection, antimicrobial resistance after antibiotics administration, etc., offering a better prognosis with fewer side effects. Micro/nanodevices can also be engineered to be implantable, enabling long-term health monitoring and treatment. Finally, the localised and precise manner of the technology allows efficient planning of the optimal procedures and accurate dosage, resulting in reduced cost.

Meet the team

Citation

BibTex format

@article{Kim:2020:2516-1091/abaaa3,
author = {Kim, JA and Wales, DJ and Yang, G-Z},
doi = {2516-1091/abaaa3},
journal = {Progress in Biomedical Engineering},
title = {Optical spectroscopy for in vivo medical diagnosis-a review of the state of the art and future perspectives},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/2516-1091/abaaa3},
volume = {2},
year = {2020}
}

RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - JOUR
AB - When light is incident to a biological tissue surface, combinations of optical processes occur, such as reflection, absorption, elastic and non-elastic scattering, and fluorescence. Analysis of these light interactions with the tissue provides insight into the metabolic and pathological state of the tissue. Furthermore, in vivo diagnosis of diseases using optical spectroscopy enables in situ rapid clinical decisions without invasive biopsies. For in vivo scenarios, incident light can be delivered in a highly localized manner to tissue via optical fibers, which are placed within the working channels of minimally invasive clinical tools, such as endoscopes. There has been extensive development in the accuracy and specificity of these optical spectroscopy techniques since the earliest in vivo examples were published in the academic literature in the early '90s, and there are now commercially available systems that have undergone medical and clinical trials. In this review, several types of optical spectroscopy techniques (elastic optical scattering spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and multimodal spectroscopy) for the diagnosis and monitoring of diseases states of tissue in an in vivo setting are introduced and explored. Examples of the latest and most impactful works for each technique are then critically reviewed. Finally, current challenges and unmet clinical needs are discussed, followed by future opportunities, such as point-based spectroscopies for robot-guided surgical interventions.
AU - Kim,JA
AU - Wales,DJ
AU - Yang,G-Z
DO - 2516-1091/abaaa3
PY - 2020///
SN - 2516-1091
TI - Optical spectroscopy for in vivo medical diagnosis-a review of the state of the art and future perspectives
T2 - Progress in Biomedical Engineering
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/2516-1091/abaaa3
UR - https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000836820500001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=a2bf6146997ec60c407a63945d4e92bb
UR - https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2516-1091/abaaa3
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/110385
VL - 2
ER -

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The Hamlyn Centre
Bessemer Building
South Kensington Campus
Imperial College
London, SW7 2AZ
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