Virginia Tech forms optical sciences and engineering research center

BLACKSBURG, Va. Nov. 18, 1999---Carilion Health System announced today it is contributing $20 million in "start-up" funds to establish the Carilion Biomedical Institute in Roanoke,Va., in partnership with Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia. Including funding by the universities, the total investment over five years will be in excess of $30 million.

The program establishes a research center at each university -- the Optical Sciences and Engineering Research (OSER) Center at Virginia Tech and the Medical Automation Research Center at the University of Virginia.

"The Optical Sciences and Engineering Research Center will investigate advanced laser surgery optics; bio-compatible materials for implants; diagnostic patches, and other diagnostic and drug delivery tools, such as to replace needles for monitoring glucose or administering insulin for people with diabetes," says OSER center director Richard Claus. "Optics is providing new biological research tools for visualization, measurement, analysis, and manipulation."

"Because of our work with fiber optics, nanostructures, and thin films, for instance, Virginia Tech researchers already have a head start in engineering developments that can be used to benefit medical, biomedical, and veterinary sciences and services," says William B. Spillman Jr., associate director of the OSER center. Examples of such work are adapting methods used in fiber-based communications to create a less expensive surgical laser that is capable of much finer incisions using lower power; using thin-film self-assembly technology to create biocompatible materials and surfaces for medical implants; using multi-spectral imaging technology for noninvasive diagnosis; and developing nanoscale sensors into implantable sensors and creating nanoscale or molecular devices that will release medicines only at specifc locations when activated by an optical signal.

Claus, a professor in electrical and computer engineering, is director of the Fiber and Electro-Optics Research Center. Spillman, who was senior research associate for bio- medical devices and systems with BF Goodrich, joined the university in July to work on the OSER center.

Project areas for the OSER center's initial year are: Multi-Spectral Imaging, Advanced Laser Surgery Optics, Bio-Compatible Materials, Diagnostic Patches, Diagnostics for Veterinary Applications, and Optically Activated/Controlled Therapy (see detailed descriptions below).

Faculty members in the Fiber and Electro-Optic Research Center have efforts underway in all areas designated for initial year research. Additional Virginia Tech personnel from several colleges have experience in the areas of materials, instrumentation, and veterinary medicine that will be important to specific research programs, and will be involved as well. Faculty members from aerospace engineering, biology, chemistry, biochemistry, electrical and computer engineering, materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering, physics, and veterinary medicine will be OSER center participants. OSER faculty members will also teach and work with graduate and undergraduate students.

The University of Virginia Medical Automation Research Center develops technology to contribute to laboratory efficiency, such as robotic systems to transport and process blood specimens and other body fluids.

The Carilion Biomedical Institute will be a biomedical science, engineering, and technology research and development organization. The institute�s goals are to improve health care worldwide and to improve economic development opportunities in southwest Virginia. Dennis G. Fisher, president and CEO of the institute, explains that the institute will be primarily responsible for prototype development, commercialization, and spin-off of technology created by research centers at the universities.

The partnership has been under discussion since early 1998, explains Len Peters, vice provost for research and dean of the graduate school at Virginia Tech. Fisher, is a former Virginia Tech professor and technical director in Tech's Center for Power Electronic Systems.

Carilion established the Biomedical Institute in observation of Carilion's centennial and "as part of our long-term commitment to the region," said company president Thomas L. Robertson. The institute will be located in Roanoke. Construction will start next year on a 50,000 square foot headquarters that will include a business incubator; 20-30 employees, including scientists, will be hired.

Detailed Project Area Descriptions

Multi-Spectral Imaging

Multi-spectral imaging was first used on NASA satellites to 'see' conditions on earth by interpreting light and thermal energy waves as images packed with information, such as type of vegetation or crop, mineral resources, pollution, etc. In essence, a spectra reading is taken for each pixel in the image and then compared with spectra of physical items of interest, thereby allowing their identification within the image. Now used for everything from sorting fruit to exploring space, the technology is so sensitive that it can be used for noninvasive diagnosis. A digital camera records the entire spectra in each pixel � in effect conducting a thermal exam. By comparing images from the human body to the spectra of known conditions, physicians can identify areas for further study. Research areas include : 1) development of inexpensive sensor systems and processing and analysis techniques, and 2) determination of which human and animal conditions might be identified and quantified through this technique.

Advanced Laser Surgery Optics

The use of laser scalpels has revolutionized surgery. The delivery of high powered laser energy from the laser to the point of application is currently implemented via multi-mode optical fiber waveguides whose physical characteristics limit how precisely incisions can be made. A concept for a new type of single mode optical fiber with the potential for cross sectional areas of the same size as multi-mode fibers has recently been reported. The use of this type of fiber would permit the focusing down of the laser light into much smaller volumes which implies that laser surgery systems using it could use lower power and less expensive lasers while being able to make much finer incisions. If successfully developed, these new fibers could significantly enhance laser surgery systems. Since Virginia Tech has one of the few research fiber fabrication facilities in the country, it is well positioned to do research in this area.

Bio-Compatible Materials

Medical implant devices are increasingly used as the population ages. These devices range from artificial skeletal replacements such as hips, to pacemakers, to devices used to keep blood vessels open after angioplasty such as stents. The major unsolved problem for these devices is bio-compatibility. No completely satisfactory way has yet been found to prevent the defense systems of the body from identifying the implants as invaders and attacking them. There have been some indications that perfect single crystals offer the best bio-compatibility, but these are very difficult to apply to surfaces that are curved, which is generally the case for implant devices. New self-assembled monolayer films appear to offer significant potential in this area. Collaborative efforts between Veterinary School researchers and those involved in currently investigating these types of films for other applications would be of interest to assess the films� potential as a solution to the bio-compatibility problem.

Diagnostic Patches

Patch technology has emerged as a way to deliver medication (as in nicotine patches). Its use as a diagnostic tool has been limited. Potential investigations include using patches for: 1) diagnosis of target medical or animal conditions, 2) detection of illegal substances, and 3) measurement of specific body chemistry. The patch could deliver the correct level of a medicine, such as insulin, or report chemical identification or remaining capacity for drug delivery as an optical indication on the surface of the patch.

Diagnostics for Veterinary Applications

Although animal models are routinely used in medical studies, the benefit back to veterinary medicine is often limited. Proposed efforts are to advance the state-of-the-art in diagnostics for veterinary medicine, either through application of techniques already being used in human medical diagnostics, or through development of entirely new techniques, such as those based on fiber optic, integrated optic, or MEMS sensing techniques.

Optically Activated/Controlled Therapy

One of the most exciting areas of bio-medical research currently underway involves optically activated/controlled therapy. In this kind of therapy, called phtodymanic therapy, chemical agents are introduced into a biological system and remain entirely passive until exposed to a particular optical signal. An example of this type of therapy might involve a chemical agent that destroys tumor cells. The chemical agent would be introduced into the system and would be activated only at the tumor location by light supplied via an endoscope or special catheter. Only the tumor cells would then be exposed to the activated chemical agent. Proposed activities are sought for the development of photodynamic chemical agents, optical activation techniques and devices.

Other Applications

OSER will be open to any proposals relating to the biomedical sciences or engineering. As examples, other areas in which proposals would be considered could include the development of a web-based database of all the physical properties of tissue that are required to design implantable devices, development of an adaptive cast material that changes its stiffness during bone healing and rehabilitation, techniques to support genetic engineering, combining thin film and biochip technology to design diagnostic probes and screening agents, and architecture studies to determine how team based bio-medical research can be implemented in an optimal fashion with team organizations widely separated, using information transfer and telecommunication tools now available.

OTHER CONTACTS:
Dennis Fisher, President and CEO
Carilion Biomedical Institute
(540) 985-8452

Robin Felder, Director
University of Virginia Medical Automation Research Center
(804) 924-9430