Skip to content
AT-NCIGT - The National Center for Advanced Technologies for Image Guided Therapy

Guigen Liu, PhD: Bendable Graded Index Lens Multimodal Microendoscopy: Advancing in-situ Histopathology

 

 

 

 

 

Guigen Liu, PhD
Instructor in Radiology
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Harvard Medical School

Abstract

For over a century, biopsy and histopathological imaging of biopsied tissues stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) have been routinely employed for the definitive diagnosis of cancer, inflammation, infection, and many other diseases. This process involves partial resection of the target tissue, followed by its transfer to a pathology laboratory for processing, imaging, and analysis. While this method remains the gold standard, it has several well-documented limitations, including time delays between biopsy and diagnostic results, inaccurate biopsy locations, and the inability to capture functional or longitudinal data. These limitations can lead to misdiagnoses, suboptimal treatments, and increased patient morbidity.

In this talk, I will be presenting our efforts to address these limitations through advancing our recent innovation, i.e., bendable gradient index (bGRIN) lens microendoscopy, for minimally invasive, biopsy-free, and label-free in-situ histopathological imaging. Two imaging modalities have been integrated with the bGRIN lens microendoscopy: two-photon imaging (2PI) for tissue autofluorescence and second-harmonic imaging (2HI) for collagen visualization. I will discuss our pixel-wise quantitative correlation between 2PI/2HI and H&E images of fixed human tissue slices. Finally, I will touch on the development of a third imaging modality, photoacoustic imaging, for tissue absorption visualization and image-guided probe insertion.

Short Bio

Guigen is a mechanical and optical engineer by training, with a prior research background in optical fiber sensing for industrial applications. He pioneered a silicon-tipped optical fiber sensing platform, which earned him the Alan Berman Research Publication Award from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and led to the establishment of a startup for commercialization. Since joining Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in 2020, he has transitioned to apply his expertise in fiber optics to tackle challenges in the biomedical field. He is currently an Instructor in Radiology and leads a research program on microendoscopy, with applications in personalized healthcare, disease diagnosis, interventional radiology, and beyond. Dr. Liu is the recipient of an NIH/NIBIB K25 award and a BWH Radiology Department Research Pilot Award.

Back To Top