2013

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DukeBr adbandF I TZ PATR I C K I N ST I T U T E FO R P HOTON I C S / DUK E U N I V E R S I T Y

FIP FACULTYHIGHLIGHTKam Leong, NAE

istockphoto

Cross-border collaborations addressing

Global Challenges

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D I R E C T O R ’ S M E S S A G E

As international collaboration is an important element ofour Institute’s activities, we continue to establish theInstitute’s global outreach in partnerships with theNational Chiao Tung University (Taiwan) and theUniversity of Saint Andrews (UK), as well as the Institut d’Optique (France), the Institute of Solar Fuels Research(Germany) and more recently the Institute of AppliedPhysics IFNAC-CNR (Italy). Depicted in the image to theright (Google Maps Engine) is a partial list of FIP interna-tional collaborations with colleagues in over 22 countriesacross the globe.

This issue of BROADBAND highlights some of our facultymembers who have worked with other colleagues outsidethe US, underlining their cross-border collaborations inorder to address global challenges. This issue featuresProfessor Kam Leong, who has worked with colleagues inDenmark, France and Africa to develop a more sensitive,non-invasive way to diagnose malaria in resource-poorareas, and Professor Christopher Woods, who established aglobal network of collaborators to study early detection ofinfectious diseases in developing countries. The newsletteralso includes articles about ProfessorDavid Beratan’s work with colleaguesin Cyprus to develop electro-opticaldevices that allow electricity to be

controlled with light for improved efficiency of solar energy harvesting andminiaturization of electronic devices. In addition, Professor NimmiRamanujam and Chambers Fellow Chris Lam are highlighted for workingwith teams in Haiti to develop portable, non-invasive devices that use whitelight to detect cervical cancer.

I invite you to visit our website at www.fitzpatrick.duke.edu to learn moreabout our faculty, research programs, and activities.

I hope you have a successful and enjoyable year.

Tuan Vo-DinhDIRECTOR, FITZPATRICK INSTITUTE FOR PHOTONICSR. EUGENE AND SUSIE E. GOODSON PROFESSOR OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERINGPROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY

Professor Tuan Vo-DinhNEW FIP FACULTY:

Haiyan Gao, PhysicsKatherine Garman, GastroenterologyCharles Gersbach, BMENico Hotz, MEMSAndrew Janiak, PhilosophyChristopher Kelsey, Radiation OncologyBruce Klitzman, Plastic Max and Oral SurgeryRegis Kopper, DiVEMaiken Mikkelsen, ECE and PhysicsGreg Palmer, Radiation OncologyGuillermo Sapiro, ECEThies Schroeder, Radiation OncologyHans Van Miegroet, Art HistoryHeather Whitson, Geriatrics

2014 FIP Annual Meeting March 10-11, 2014KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Dr. Roger Y. Tsien, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry (2008)

SPECIAL TOPIC SESSION:“Visualization Across the Spectrum from Engineering to Humanities to Medicine”

Welcome to the Fall 2013 issue of BROADBAND, the newsletter ofthe Fitzpatrick Institute for Photonics (FIP). Due to the dedication and con-tribution of its faculty, students and staff, the FIP has continued to grow inresearch, education, industrial activities and membership. The membershipof the Institute has increased to 92 faculty members belonging to 32 depart-ments and institutions from the Pratt School of Engineering, the TrinitySchool of Arts & Sciences, and the Duke School of Medicine.

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G L O B A L C O L L A B O R A T I O N S

THE FITZPATRICK INSTITUTEFOR PHOTONICS has collabora-tors all over the world from Belgium to Uruguay.  A few ofour FIP faculty are highlighted in this issue of Broadband

for their global collaborations. Goto fitzpatrick.duke.edu to explore all

of our 55 collaborators in over 20 countries with aninteractive map from Google Earth.

AnesthesiologyArt HistoryBiologyBiomedical Engineering (BME)Center for Metamaterials & Integrated Plasmonics Cell BiologyChemical BiologyChemistryCivil & Environmental Engineering (CEE)Computer Science (CS)Dermatology

Division of Infectious Diseases & International HealthDuke Comprehensive Cancer CenterDuke Immersive Virtual Environment (DiVE)Duke Human Vaccine InstituteElectrical and Computer Engineering (ECE)GastroenterologyGeriatricsInstitute for Genome Sciences & PolicyMathematicsMechanical Engineering and Materials Science (MEMS)Neurosurgery

OncologyOphthalmologyOrthopaedic BioengineeringPathologyPediatricsPhilosophyPhysicsRadiation OncologyRadiologySurgery

92 FACULTY MEMBERS | 32 PARTICIPATING DEPARTMENTS & INSTITUTES AT DUKE UNIVERSITY:

PARTICIPATING DEPARTMENTS AND INSTITUTIONS

Google Engine Map

“The articles in this newsletter illustrate the global impact of the research beingundertaken by the Fitzpatrick Institute for Photonics. Duke faculty—particularlythose working in photonics—can contribute greatly to finding solutions to ourmajor global challenges including those in low- and middle-income countries. The work being done to discover simplified methods for diagnosis of infectiousdiseases is particularly noteworthy and of great importance to decreasing the burden associated with these diseases.”

–MICHAEL MERSON, M.D., DIRECTOR, DUKE GLOBAL HEALTH INSTITUTE, WOLFGANG JOKLIK PROFESSOR OF GLOBAL HEALTH

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Duke biomedical engineer Kam Leong and collabo-rators met this need with a new, non-invasive malariatest that pinpoints the parasite using a single drop ofbodily fluid, usually saliva or blood. They are now work-ing to commercialize the test.

This technique, known as rolling-circle enhancedenzyme activity detection (REEAD) and developed byBirgitta Knudsen at Aarhus University in Denmark,identifies the enzyme topoisomerase I (pTopl) present inthe malaria-causing Plasmodium parasites by using alab-on-a-chip (LOC)technology developedby Sissel Juul andMegan Ho in the labs ofLeong and Knudsen.LOC devices combineseveral laboratory func-tions in a small chip

designed to analyze small-volume fluid samples withhigh sensitivity.

The technology offers advantages over a commonlaboratory tool used to detect malaria—polymerasechain reaction (PCR), which replicates DNA to create asample size large enough to detect the DNA of thePlasmodium parasite. This technique presents two prob-lems: it requires extensive sample preparation and a heatsource that alternates between low and high temperatures.

“The many temperature cycles needed means theprocess is often expensive and bulky,” said Leong.“REEAD is much simpler, so it has a real advantage

A better malaria test

over PCR in remote, resource-poor areas.”REEAD is isothermal, he said. At room tempera-

ture it is sensitive enough to detect the pTopl enzymein cells. Its detection limit is potentially less than oneparasite per microliter of unprocessed body fluid, andit costs less because it doesn’t need electricity or aclean water supply.

To test whether REEAD could identify pTopl in asmall sample, Leong in collaboration with Knudsen’steam encapsulated blood samples from 31 infected

and uninfected individuals in water-in-oil dropletsand, then, killed the cells with a low-salt solution.Next, they transferred the samples to a primer-coatedslide and exposed them to light for optical detectionof the pTopl signals.

The technique correctly identified all 20 malaria-infected blood samples, and it accurately pinpointedthe four infected saliva samples from a group of 12.

Leong and his collaborators at Duke, as well as inFrance, Denmark, and Africa, are now adapting thetechnology for portability and functionality in visible,rather than ultraviolet, light. ■

G L O B A L F A C U L T Y H I G H L I G H T S

Worldwide, malaria infections are dropping, and infected patientshave fewer parasites in their bodies. This is good news on theglobal health front, but it presents a challenge to caregivers—who

need a better, more sensitive way to diagnose the disease.

Leong Named NAE MemberKam Leong is Duke’s newest member of the

National Academy of Engineering (NAE). Leong,

the James B. Duke professor of biomedical

engineering, was elected to the academy in

2013 for his outstanding contributions to

engineered drug delivery and non-viral

mediated gene delivery. He is noted for

developing innovative, life-extending

treatments for brain tumors and for expanding

the use of nanotechnology in medicine.

Kam Leong

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Worldwide, HIV/AIDS, malaria, andtuberculosis account for roughly5.5 million deaths annually and

millions more new infections. Early identifi-cation is often critical to treating these dis-eases, and collaborative work between theFitzpatrick Institute for Photonics (FIP) andthe Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI)could make diagnosis easier.

According to Chris Woods, associate pro-fessor of infectious diseases, co-director of theHubert-Yeargan Center for Global Health,and FIP member, swiftly pinpointing infec-tions is a paramount – and largely elusive –capability. The lack of rapid identification inalmost any location is a significant worldwideproblem.

“One of the biggest hurdles facing globalpublic health is the inability to quickly andaccurately diagnose disease,” said Woods,DGHI global health master’s program di-rector and Durham Veterans’ Affairs infec-tious disease chief. “Our ultimate goal is areal-time, point-of-care detection device thatallows us to make a decision about whetheran individual has an active infection.”

To reach this goal, Woods partnered withFIP director Tuan Vo-Dinh, building uponVo-Dinh’s previous work with surface-en-hanced Raman scattering (SERS), a tech-nique that shines laser light onto target mol-

Rapid detection of infectious disease

ecules, encouraging them to vibrate and scat-ter back their own unique light. This proof-of-principle work uses light to spot infec-tions before patients become symptomatic.

With funding from the National Insti-tutes of Health, Defense Advanced ResearchProjects Agency, the Department of Defenseand the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation, theresearchers developed andadded a silver-based nanopar-ticle with a DNA probe thatattaches itself to a virus or bac-teria’s specific molecular mark-ers that enter the bloodstreamduring early infection. Whenexposed to the SERS strategy,the nanoparticle exhibits achange in its distinctive light.According to Vo-Dinh, whohas studied and developedSERS applications fordecades, pairing a target molecule with ametal nanoparticle or nanostructure en-hances the optical response by as much as amillion times or more.

Woods has been involved in many interna-tional collaborations to study infectious dis-eases worldwide: Ruhuna University (SriLanka), the University Hospital (Nicaragua),the Institute Pasteur (Vietnam) and the Na-tional Institute of Health and Epidemiology

(Vietnam) to study dengue and othercauses of acute febrile illness; Duke-National University of Singapore(Singapore) for pathogen discovery;Moi University (Kenya) to investi-gate epidemiology of malaria; Kili-manjaro Christian Medical College(Tanzania) to study bacterial zoonoses

and HIV infections; and Lola YaBonobo/Kinshasa School of Public Health

(Democratic Republic of Congo) to investi-gate zoonotic infections. The use of SERS di-agnostics could lead to an advance in humandiagnostics and has potential applications inCentral American, East and West Africa, aswell as other locations, such as Sri Lankaand Vietnam.

“We have demonstrated that the use ofthese nanoprobes can detect specific geneticmaterials taken from human samples,” saidVo-Dinh, who is also the R. Eugene andSusie E. Goodson Distinguished Professor ofBiomedical Engineering, as well as a chem-istry professor.

Now, Woods said, the team, including Ge-offrey Ginsburg, director of genomic medi-cine at the Duke Institute for Genome Sci-ences & Policy, is working to translate thetechnique to a chip that can be used in aportable diagnostic device and requires onlya small number of genes, providing fast, ac-curate details about patient infections. Ulti-mately, he said, these tests could be used inoutpatient clinics or emergency rooms, aswell as modified for global use in rural areas.

This technique, Ginsburg said, could leadto devices that can measureseveral genome-derivedmarkers and provide quickdiagnosis at the bedside, espe-cially in low-resource loca-tions. Antimicrobial therapyefficacy and outcomes couldimprove, and physicians’ abil-ity to offer targeted treat-ments could improve, as well.

“This important studypaves the way for the devel-opment of devices that meas-

ure multiple genome-derived markers thatwill assist with more accurate and rapid diag-nosis of infection disease at the point-of-care,” said Ginsburg, who is also the execu-tive director of the Duke Center forPersonalized Medicine. “Point of care diag-nostics holds great promise to accelerate pre-cision medicine and, more importantly, helppatients in limited-resource settings gain ac-cess to molecular testing.” ■

Chris Woods and color-enhanced photomicrograph showing infected redblood cells in a patient with malaria.

“Our ultimate goalis a real-time,point-of-caredetection devicethat allows us tomake a decisionabout whether anindividual has anactive infection.”

Inset: Dr. Cecil H. Fo

x / S

cience Source

Shining light on electrons doesn’t make them visible to thenaked eye, but the illumination can control how these sub-atomic particles move. And, manipulating the light can also

change the electron’s activity.For the first time, chemistry professor David

Beratan and his collaborator from Cyprus, SpirosSkourtis, have shown that altering charge exchangesbetween donor-and-acceptor couplings is possible byvibrating the electrons’ trajectory.

“We would like to control the flow of electrons formany reasons,” Beratan said. “We would like to makean electro-optical device that allows us to control elec-tricity with light or vice-versa. These kinds of switch-es in processors are useful.”

Such developments could improve solar energyharvesting efficiency, he said. Increased molecular-level control over electronic devices could also leadto greater miniaturization. It’s the international col-laborations that continue to move this research forward – in addi-tion to official partnerships, researchers meet frequently at globalconferences, facilitating easy discussion of ideas.

With funding from the National Science Foundation and theCyprus Research Promotion Foundation, Beratan’s team uses light intwo ways – as a source to energize and drive electrons around, and to

shake the electron’s pathways within the molecule. Thisprocess uses both visible and 400-nanometer wave-length infrared light. In one experiment, they employthree pulses of light to map the electron’s activities. Onepulse launches the electron, another shakes the mole-cule, and the third probes the electron’s location.

By hitting electrons with infrared light and monitor-ing absorption changes, the team discovered shakinghydrogen bonds in the middle of the electron’s pathslows the particle as it moves from donor to acceptor.Understanding the slowdown could reveal how to re-direct the electron, its paths and its capabilities.

“One of engineering’s challenges is to make smallerdevices that consume less energy and operate faster,”Beratan said. “Sensors in these devices are generally

electronic, so the challenge is how to design and build these thingswhen they get really tiny. We’re looking toward the day when wehave electronic devices on the atomic scale.” ■

Duke-Cyprus collaboration could lead toelectronic devices on an atomic scale

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G L O B A L F A C U L T Y H I G H L I G H T S

David Beratan

Breast cancer diagnosis and treatmentare advancing thanks to work fromFIP biomedical engineering professor

Nimmi Ramanujam andcolleagues. The team illu-minates removed breasttissue with non-ionizing,visible-to-ultraviolet-wave-length white light. Pho-tons scatter through tu-mors or are absorbed byoptically detectable cancerbiomarkers, such as betac-arotene, or blood.

Ramanujam’s MonteCarlo feature extraction al-gorithm separates the diffuse re-flectance spectrum—the range thatlight reflects at different wavelengths—into the tissue’s absorption or scatteringlevels. This helps determine marginpositivity.

Although white light can’t penetratetissue deeply, it’s a non-destructive,simple-to-use tool in non-invasivelypenetrable areas, such as the breast,mouth, nasal cavity or cervix.

Duke PhD student and John T.Chambers Fellow Christopher Lam,pictured far right, is adapting this

technology for cervical cancer screening inHaiti. A Duke Global Health Institute grad-uate and biomedical engineer, Lam builds

various system components. He hopes to miniaturize the sys-

tem and make it more useful in aresource limited setting by reducingthe required power needs. The goal:a battery- or mobile-technologypowered device.

With Duke-Coulter TranslationalPartnership grant funding, Ramanu-

jam founded Zenalux in 2006, commercial-izing her technology. The flagship product—a small spectroscopy system called theZenascope—reduced Ramanujam’s lab in-struments to a 4-by-5-by-9 inch form.Zenascopes include a console, the MonteCarlo feature extraction algorithm, and asingle-channel, pen-like probe.

Zenascopes illuminate tissue, collectingthe reflectance spectrum. The real-timealgorithm converts reflectance into intrinsicabsorption and sampled-tissue scattering,

enabling observation of quantifiedendpoints during experiments.The process takes milliseconds andfacilitates real-time analysis, suchas letting surgeons determinewhether they’ve removed all can-cerous tissue during breast-con-serving surgery.

Future Zenascopes will self-cali-brate for lamp fluctuations and havepressure-sensing capabilities for in-stant measurement capture, featuresadded based on field experience us-ing a similar system in Haiti. Ulti-mately, Ramanujam anticipatesZenascopes will expedite accuratebedside, real-time diagnoses, andreduce unneeded surgeries. ■

Nimmi Ramanujam, top; Family Health Ministries’ women’shealth clinic team in Haiti

Screening moves from lab to Haiti

H O N O R S

Fitzpatrick Institute for Photonics FellowshipsThe Fitzpatrick Institute for Photonics (FIP) is pleased to announce and

introduce the recipients of the John T. Chambers Scholars and theJohn T. Chambers Fellows for the 2013 academic year thanks to the continued

generosity and support of John T. Chambers.

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After graduating with aPh.D. in Electrical andComputer Engineering

from Duke in 2009, Zhiya Zhaoused the interdisciplinary knowl-edge and expertise in quantumdot infrared photodetectors hegained as a student to co-launchthe Kuang-Chi Institute ofAdvanced Technology inShenzhen, China.

As vice president, Zhao over-sees research and developmentteams, merging physics, photon-ics, mathematics, materials andmicroelectronics, statistics, biolo-gy, and computer sciences expertsto advance wireless communica-tions.

Together, his team has devel-oped several wireless communica-tion and smart community prod-ucts, featuring high security andstrong directivity.

www.kuang-chi.org/

Chambers FellowsWhere Are They Now?

Following the Fitzpatrick Institute for Photonics’ global expan-sion goal, FIP director Tuan Vo-Dinh has established collabo-rations in Germany, Italy, and France. These associations will

allow investigators to work on cross-disciplinary projects, such asenhancing—at a molecular level—future personalized healthcareand improving energy production using sunlight. “Technology hasallowed cross-continent collaborations that wouldn’thave been practical 10 years ago,” Vo-Dinh said.

Currently, Vo-Dinh works with Joachim Lewerenz,a senior scientist with the Institute for Solar Fuel inBerlin (Germany) and department head at Caltech’sJoint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis (JCAP), tostudy how nanophotonics improves biosensors andsolar fuel – particularly developing improved photo-catalysis for the production of energy. The goal is touse metallic nanoparticles with a plasmonic effect toenhance photocatalysis to create fuel.

Additionally, Vo-Dinh collaborates with researchersat the Institute of Applied Physics of the National Research Center(IFAP/CNR) in Florence (Italy). Alongside Francesco Baldini, headof the Chemical and Biochemical Optical Sensor group atIFAP/CNR, he investigates new applications of optical sensors formedical diagnostics. The project’s main focus is aimed at developingand characterizing molecular probes consisting of short nucleic acidmolecules with optical signals that can be turned on or off uponrecognition of molecular biomarkers of disease. These nanoprobescan sense and image tumor cells, potentially enhancing individual-ized diagnostics and therapies.

According to Baldini, they use fluorescence and surface-enhancedRaman spectroscopy (SERS) to investigate the RNA messenger sur-vivin, a protein – found in several tumors – that prevents cell death.The work holds significant promise for point of care diagnostics.

“Thanks to the experience of both our institutions on cellularanalysis, there will be the possibility to apply the nanosensors in

tumor cell lines by means of appropriate carriers forcellular delivery,” Baldini said.

Vo-Dinh also partners with Michael Canva, head ofthe Institut d’Optique biophotonics group in Paris(France). With both surface plasmon resonance sens-ing and SERS, they are designing and developing aunique medical diagnostics chip. Utilizing surfaceplasmon resonance imaging, these chips image anddetect disease biomarkers. Chip bioreceptors bind tomultiple biomarkers, thus allowing multiplex detec-tion and improving medical diagnoses.

In addition to international collaborations, Vo-Dinh also impacts medicine via work with other U.S. institutionssuch as the Center for Applied Nanobioscience and Medicine at theUniversity of Arizona. Combining Duke’s biosensing expertise andUniversity of Arizona’s microbiology proficiency, they investigatetreated blood samples, using biomarker-detecting technology.

“We are now entering an important epoch in science,” Vo-Dinhsaid, “where the knowledge of individual research groups is nolonger sufficient but should be combined and integrated acrossnational borders and continents to solve complex problems ofglobal importance.” ■

Solving health problems across continents

L-R: Tana Villafana,Brian Crouch,Dalton Sycks,William Eldridge, Jenna Mueller, Yuan Fang, Derek Ho, Lindsay McTague, Jong Kang Park

2013-2015 John T. Chambers ScholarsJenna Mueller

(BME – Professor Ramanujam)Jong Kang Park

(Chemistry – Professor Therien)Tana Villafana

(Chemistry – Professor Warren)

2013-2014 John T. Chambers FellowsBrian Crouch (BME – Professor Ramanujam)

William Eldridge (BME – Professor Wax)Yuan Fang (ECE – Professor Liu)Derek Ho (BME – Professor Wax)

Lindsay McTague (ECE – Professor Cummer)Dalton Sycks (MEMS – Professor Zhao)

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Cancer treatment is notoriouslybrutal—which is why JenniferWest’s work is creating such abuzz. The Duke engineer has

developed a way to kill tumors without thekinds of negative side effects associated withchemotherapy and radiation.

West and her team discovered that theycould destroy soft-tissue tumors by inject-ing gold-covered nanoshells about 100nanometers (nm) in size into the body, thenheating them up with light. The method iscurrently being tested in three human clin-ical trials focused on prostate, lung, andhead and neck cancers.

“From our animal trials, we saw a com-plete regression of tumors and no regrowthor adverse effects,” West said. “This is dif-ferent from using drugs because it’s really amechanical effect. You’re not binding some-thing to a biochemical—you’re cookingsomething.”

This method works, she said, becauseblood vessels that form quickly to support

tumors are leaky, and they readilyabsorb the gold-covered nanoshells.The gold covering is 15 nm thick—laid on an inert silica core at the exactthickness and curvature needed toabsorb infrared light. (One nanometeris approximately 1/75,000th the thick-ness of a human hair, or 1/8,000th thesize of a red blood cell).

Roughly 24 hours after injecting thenanoshells, researchers shine a 800 nmwavelength infrared light over the can-cerous tissue for four minutes. Thegold, the most biocompatible inertmet-al, heats up and burns away the tumor.

The novel treatment is breakingnew ground with the Food and DrugAdministration, West said. It’s one ofthe first nanotechnologies to seekagency approval, so they’re navigatingnew regulatory waters. Her company,Nanospectra Biosciences, Inc., hopesto bring a product to market withintwo years. ■

F E A T U R E D F A C U L T Y R E S E A R C H

A golden approach to killing cancer

Nanoshells, appearing as tiny points of light, accumulate in tumor vessels.

Jennifer West

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Duke engineers are illuminating anew medical era—literally—har-nessing light’s abilities to detectand manipulate biological materi-

als. With medical center and university col-leagues, they’re developing healthcare solu-tions, from cancer diagnosis and treatment,to intrasurgical guidance and monitoring,to new disease biomarker-identification testdesign. Joseph Izatt, Pratt’s Fitzpatrick Institute

for Photonics (FIP) biophotonics programdirector, and collaborators use optical coher-ence tomography (OCT) to improve treat-ments for eye disease. Early in his career,Izatt co-developed the first clinically viableOCT, a method that captures diagnostic,internal eye images using near-infrared light.Today, this $1 billion-per-year industry pro-vides standard retinal diag-nostic technology – andmore potential remains.

In 2007, Izatt’s company,Bioptigen Inc., designed ahandheld device capable ofimaging 40 times fasterthan existing OCT equipment. Suddenly,ophthalmologists gathered previously elu-sive diagnostic images, including retinalviews that were used to detect neonatalvision loss.

Recently, his team profiled individual cellmembranes with nanosecond spatial andmillisecond temporal resolution usingOCT, monitoring “heartbeats” of individ-ual heart muscle cells growing in culture.

Next, he said, they’ll extend OCT to reti-nal microsurgery and provide real-time imageguidance. OCT doesn’t have this capabilityyet, but it’s impactful, said Izatt’s collaborator,Duke retinal surgeon Cynthia Toth.

“OCT images give you more retinal infor-mation before you begin surgery,” she said.“So, you operate smarter, and it translatesinto better patient outcomes.”

Particularly, she said, OCT helps sur-geons repair vision-impairing macular holesin the retina’s center. Imaging-provideddetails facilitate hole-formation analysis andchoosing the best treatment. The team alsoplans to introduce OCT to cataract surgery,one of the most often-performed surgeriesworldwide, Izatt said.

“In cataract surgery, surgeons replace anolder patient’s cloudy lens with a plastic one,but choosing the new lens correctly dependson knowing the patient’s corneal power,” hesaid. “Current corneal power measuringinstruments weren’t designed for peoplewho’ve had vision-correction surgery, such

Seeing the eye in a new lightas LASIK. Adapting OCT’s three-dimen-sional imaging power in the front of the eyewill help surgeons pick correct replacementlens for this growing population.”

OCT’s imaging speed and resolutioncapabilities have continually ballooned.New generations multiply imaging-datasetsizes, said Sina Farsiu, Duke’s Vision andImage Processing (VIP) Laboratory direc-tor. The hardware produces substantialmicron-level information, requiring com-puter-assisted analysis and research.

“Ophthalmologists get minutes withpatients, and they don’t have time to ana-lyze all the images,” he said. “They wantdata compressed into meaningful quantita-tive measurements—that’s what I do.”

Farsiu’s computer-automated algorithmsmine the diagnostic images Izatt’s tools cap-

ture, searching for and quantifying diseasebiomarkers. “Recent improvements couldimpact diabetes-related blindness”, he said.Currently, physicians try treatments viatrial-and-error. Using Izatt’s hardware andFarsiu’s algorithm, the team hopes patientimages encourage immediate identificationof optimal biomarker-based treatments.

Shortly, Farsiu’s algorithms may need toprocess more data. With a new Duke-led,multi-center National Institutes of Healthgrant, the team is designing hardwareimprovements to boost OCT imagingspeed by another factor of 20 and removescan-blurring motion artifacts, producingmore, clearer images.

These developments have impact beyond theclinic, wooing talented biomedical and engi-neering research students to Pratt, said Izatt.

For example, Fitzpatrick Scholar DerekNankivil uses OCT to study how the eyechanges to maintain clear images and how old-er people lose focusing ability with close ob-jects. Additionally, Chambers Fellow FrancescoLaRocca, pictured below, combined confocalscanning laser ophthalmoscopy (CSLO) andOCT into a handheld device, producing

high-resolution, low-arti-fact human retina images.

“For our projects, we’venot only invented tech-nologies to bring capabil-

ities to physicians, but we’ve also increasedour understanding of how body systemswork,” Izatt said. “Working on these endeav-ors gives students excellent training in bio-medical science, optical engineering, and sig-nal/image processing, because it takes acombination of those disciplines to makethese advancements.” ■

Scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) are laser-basedimaging systems used by ophthalmologists to detect retinal pathology. This system combines SLO and

OCT in a single device. By acquiring high-speed SLO images simultaneously with OCT, retinalmotion can be estimated and used to correct for patient motion within an OCT volume.

“OCT images give you more retinal informationbefore you begin surgery. So, you operate smarter,and it translates into better patient outcomes.”

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O U T R E A C H , C U L T U R E , A N D E D U C A T I O N

The new “Women in Science andEngineering” workshop includ-ing faculty, postdocs, staff, graduate students and a highschool student discussed ideasfor encouraging more women to enter Science, Technology,Engineering and Math (STEM)fields. Two of the attendees also traveled to the 2013 GirlsSTEM ThinkTank Conferencein Nashville, TN to gather moreideas to build upon.

Local high school students from Broughton, EnloeMagnet, Franklin Academy, Garner Magnet, J.D.Clement Early College, Riverside, Sanderson,Southeast Guilford and Woods Charter high schoolsattended FIP’s breakfast with a Nobel Laureate. Dr.William D. Phillip, awarded the 1997 Nobel Prize inPhysics “for development of methods to cool andtrap atoms with laser light”, provided enlightenmentand encouragement during an informal breakfastsession. In addition, the students toured photonicsand optics labs as well as the Duke Smart Home, asustainable and LEED-certified dorm.

The 2013 FIP Annual Symposium branched out to include a student“Breakfast with a Nobel Laureate,” “Women in Science and Engineering” workshop,and “Building Bridges Between Academia and The Federal Laboratory” workshop.

A Duke Green CertifiedWorkplace, Fitzpatrick Institute for Photonics (FIP) recently won $500 from theDuke Green Grant Fund.

The grant was ap-plied to purchas-ing travel mugsfor the FIP Break-

fast. In a sustainable envi-ronment, FIP no longerprovides disposable cupsand members are requiredto bring their mug.

The workshop “Building BridgesBetween Academia and TheFederal Laboratory” exploredpotential collaborative opportu-nities between Oak RidgeNational Laboratory and Dukein research and educationalactivities including the focusareas of nano-bio-technology,sensors and diagnostics, andsupercomputing and big data.

Hannah Guilbert aligns an optical system for aquantum communication project.

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I N D U S T R Y

Check out our latest training program!

Master of EngineeringPhotonics and

Optical SciencesSee the insert enclosed in this newsletter

or visit

fitzpatrick.duke.edu/education

along with...Certificate In Photonicsfor MS and PhD students

Curriculum: Photonics courses focused ontechnical areas of interest, a researchpresentation, and attendance at a minimum of four FIP seminars.

Ideal candidates: Doctoral students in anytechnical field who wish to gain greaterdepth of skill and exposure to photonicsand optical sciences.

Duration: Flexible. Courses can be taken atany time during the student's tenure atDuke while working towards a primarydegree.

and meet our first MEng in PhotonicsProgram student!

Michael Zarella is the first student of thenew Master of Engineering in Photonicsprogram at Pratt School of Engineering. InMay 2013, Zarella graduated from theUniversity of Rochester’s Institute of Opticswith a B.S. in Optical Engineering. There,he was a Xerox Research Fellow working inDr. Andrew Berger’s Biomedical

Spectroscopygroup. Nowstudying bothphotonics andbusiness manage-ment, MichaelZarella has aspi-rations to starthis own companydeveloping opti-cal devices formedical imagingand diagnostics.

Advanced Liquid Logic, a start-up companyfounded by alumni Vamsee Pamula and MichaelPollack and Richard Fair, Lord-Chandran professor ofelectrical and computer engineering, has just beenacquired by Illumina, Inc.ece.duke.edu/advanced-liquid-logic

FACULTY SPINOFFS:

Applied Quantum Technologies, Inc. - Jungsang Kim, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Bioptigen, Inc. - Joseph Izatt, Biomedical Engineering

Blue Angel Optics (merged with Applied Quantum Technologies)  - Bob Guenther

Physic Centice, Inc. - David Brady, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Nanospectra Biosciences, Inc. – Jennifer West, Biomedical Engineering

Oncoscope, Inc. - Adam Wax, Biomedical Engineering

Phase Bioscience, Inc. - Ashutosh Chilkoti, Biomedical Engineering

Signal Innovations Group - Lawrence Carin, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Zenalux Biomedical (formerly  Endls Optics) - Nimmi Ramanujam, Biomedical Engineering

The Fitzpatrick Institute for Photonics atDuke actively encourages close collabora-tion with our corporate partners and

promotes technology transfer for economicdevelopment. The Corporate Partners Programis designed to strengthen interactions betweenour faculty and industrial partners and toenhance the translational aspects of our educa-tional and research programs. fitzpatrick.duke.edu/industry

FIP CorporatePartnership Program

Our Toastmasters club will help you to:• Speak and present compellingly.• Think quickly and clearly.• Become a strong leader.• Listen effectively.You will learn these skills and more in a supportive,self-paced, fun atmosphere.

MEETS EVERY FIRST AND THIRD TUESDAY, HUDSON HALL ENGINEERING BUILDINGPRATTSPEAK.TOASTMASTERSCLUBS.ORG

Interviewing for jobs? Leading a seminar? Giving a business presentation? Need confidence?

PRATTically Speaking

Other spinoffs from FIP faculty include:

Non-profit Org.US Postage

PAIDDurham, NCPermit #60

DukeBroadband is published by the Fitzpatrick Institute for Photonics, Pratt School of Engineering, DukeUniversity. Edited by: August Burns, Minnie Glymph, Tuan Vo-Dinh, and Adam Wax. Articles: Whitney J.Howell Design: Lacey Chylack, phase5creative, inc. Direct comments to august.burns@duke.edu.

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Fitzpatrick Institute for PhotonicsDuke University305 Teer Building, Box 90271Durham, NC 27708-0271

ANESTHESIOLOGYAllan Shang, M.D. Assist. Prof.ART HISTORYHans Van Miegrot, Prof.BIOLOGYAdele DeCruz, Adj. Assist. Prof.Daniel Kiehart, Prof.BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERINGAshutosh Chilkoti, Prof.Mark Dewhirst, Prof.Sina Farsiu, Assist. Prof.Daniel Gauthier, Prof. Charles Gersbach, Assist. Prof.Farshid Guilak, Prof.Joseph Izatt, Prof.G. Allan Johnson, Prof. Kam Leong, Prof.Hisham Massoud, Prof. Barry Myers, M.D., Prof.Nimmi Ramanujam, Prof.William (Monty) Reichert, Prof. Jingdong Tian, Assist. Prof.George Truskey, Prof. Adam Wax, Assoc. Prof.Jennifer West, Prof.Fan Yuan, Prof.Lingchong You, Assist. Prof.Tuan Vo-Dinh, Prof.CELL BIOLOGYHarold Erickson, Prof.Jennifer West, Prof.CENTER FOR METAMATERIALS ANDINTEGRATED PLASMONICSApril Brown, Prof.Steve Cummer, Assoc. Prof. Nan Jokerst, Prof.Jungsang Kim, Assoc. Prof. David R. Smith, Prof.

CHEMICAL BIOLOGYWilliam (Monty) Reichert, Prof. CHEMISTRYDavid Beratan, Prof. Adele DeCruz, Adj. Assist. Prof.Martin Fischer, Assist. Res. Prof. Jie Liu, Prof. Richard A. Palmer, Prof. EmeritiWilliam (Monty) Reichert, Prof. Michael Therein, Prof.Eric Toone, Prof. Warren Warren, Prof. Benjamin J. Wiley, Assist. Prof.Weitao Yang, Prof. Tuan Vo-Dinh, Prof. CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERINGHeileen Hsu-Kim, Assist. Prof.COMPUTER SCIENCENikos Pitsianis, Adjunct Assoc. Prof.John Reif, Prof. Xiaobai Sun, Prof. DIVISION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES ANDINTERNATIONAL HEALTHAimee Zaas, Assoc. Prof.DUKE COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTERVictoria Seewaldt, M.D., Prof.Neil L. Spector, M.D., Assoc. Prof. DUKE HUMAN VACCINE INSTITUTENathan Thielman, Assoc. Prof. DUKE IMMERSIVE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT(DiVE)Regis Kopper, DirectorELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERINGMartin Brooke, Assoc. Prof. April Brown, Prof. David Brady, Prof.Lawrence Carin, Prof.Krishnendu Chakrabarty, Prof. Leslie Collins, Prof.

Steve Cummer, Assoc. Prof. Chris Dwyer, Assist. Prof. Richard Fair, Prof. Jeff Glass, Prof. Nan Jokerst, Prof.Jungsang Kim, Assoc. Prof. Jeffrey Krolik, Prof. Qing Liu, Prof. Hisham Massoud, Prof.Nikos Pitsianis, Adjunct Assoc. Prof.Matthew Reynolds, Assist. Prof.Guillermo Sapiro, Prof.David R. Smith, Prof. Adrienne Stiff-Roberts, Assist. Prof. GASTROENTEROLOGYAnna Mae Diehl, M.D., Prof.Katherine Gaeman, MD, Assist. Prof.GERIATRICSHeather Whitson, Assoc. Prof.INSTITUTE FOR GENOME SCIENCES & POLICYGeoffrey Ginsburg, M.D. Prof.Lingchong You, Assist. Prof.Aimee Zaas, Assoc. Prof.MATHEMATICSStephanos Venakides, Prof. MECHANICAL ENGINEERING ANDMATERIALS SCIENCENiko Hotz, Assist. Prof.Jennifer West, Prof.Benjamin B. Yellen, Assist. Prof.Xuanhe Zhao, Assist. Prof.NICHOLAS SCHOOL OF THE ENVIRONMENTRichard T. DiGuilioONCOLOGYVictoria Seewaldt, M.D., Prof.Neil L. Spector, M.D. Assoc. Prof.OPHTHALMOLOGYSina Farsiu, Assist. Prof.

Joseph Izatt, Prof.Anthony Kuo, M.D., Assist. Prof.Cynthia Toth, M.D., Prof.ORTHOPAEDIC BIOENGINEERINGFarshid Guilak, Prof.PATHOLOGYGayathri Devi, M.D., Assist. Prof. Mark Dewhirst, Prof.Christopher Woods, Assoc. Prof.PEDIATRICSBernie Fischer, Assoc. Prof.Judith Voynow, M.D. Prof.PHILOSOPHYAndrew Janiak, Prof.PHYSICSHarold Baranger, Prof. Glenn Edwards, Prof.Gleb Finkelstein, Assoc. Prof.Haiyan Gao, Prof.Daniel Gauthier, Prof. Bob Guenther, Adjunct Prof.G. Allan Johnson, Prof.Ying Wu, Assoc. Prof.RADIATION ONCOLOGYMark Dewhirst, Prof.Chris Kelsey, Assoc. Prof.Greg Palmer, Assist. Prof.Thies Schroeder, Assist. Prof.Paul Stauffer, Prof.Terry Yoshizumi, Assoc. Prof.RADIOLOGYG. Allan Johnson, Prof.James Provenzale, M.D. Prof.Warren Warren, Prof.Terry Yoshizumi, Prof.SURGERYGayathri Devi, Assist. Prof. Bruce Klitzman, Assoc. Prof.Kam Leong, Prof.

FIP Faculty: 92 faculty members from 32 departments and institutes at Duke

Biophotonics: J. Izatt, Director | Nano & micro systems: N. Jokerst, Director | Quantum information: D. Gauthier, Director |Systems modeling: W. Yang, Director | Advanced photonics systems: M. Reichert, Director | Nanophotonics: K. Leong, Director |

Metamaterials: D. Smith, Director | Novel spectroscopes: W. Warren, Director

FIP Research Program Directors