The use of lasers for diagnosis and treatment in medical and cosmetic applications is increasing worldwide. Not all of these modalities are superficial and many require laser light to penetrate some distance into the tissue or skin to reach the treatment site. Human skin is highly scattering for light in the visible and near infrared wavelength regions, with a consequent reduction of the fluence rate. Melanin, which occurs in the epidermis of the skin, acts as an absorber in these wavelength regions and further reduces the fluence rate of light that penetrates through the epidermis to a treatment site. In vivo fluence rate measurements are not viable, but validated and calibrated computer models may play a role in predicting the fluence rate reaching the treatment site. A layered planar computer model to predict laser fluence rate at some depth into skin was developed in a commercial raytracing environment (ASAP). The model describes the properties of various skin layers and accounts for both the absorption and scattering taking place in the skin. The model was validated with optical measurements on skin-simulating phantoms in both reflectance and transmission configurations. It was shown that a planar epidermal/dermal interface is adequate for simulation purposes. In the near infrared wavelength region (676 nm), melanin (consisting of eumelanin and pheomelanin) is the major absorber of light in the epidermis. The epidermal absorption coefficient is one of the required input parameters for the computer model. The range of absorption coefficients expected for typical South African skin phototypes (ranging from photo-sensitive light skin, phototype I on the Fitzpatrick scale, to the photo-insensitive darker skin phototype V) was not available. Non-invasive diffuse reflectance spectroscopy measurements were done on 30 volunteers to establish the expected range of absorption coefficients. In the analysis it became apparent that the contributions of the eumelanin and pheomelanin must be accounted for separately, specifically for the Asian volunteers. This is a new concept that was introduced in the diffuse reflectance probe analysis. These absorption coefficient measurements were the first to be done on the expected range of skin phototypes for the South African population. Other authors dealing with diffuse reflectance probe analysis only account for the dominant eumelanin. Both the epidermal absorption coefficient and thickness are important in the prediction of the fluence rate loss. The computer model was used to evaluate the effect of the epidermal absorption coefficient (a parameter dictated by an individual’s skin phototype) and the epidermal thickness on the fluence rate loss through the skin. The epidermal absorption is strongly wavelength dependent with the higher absorption at the shorter wavelengths. In the computer model a longer wavelength of 676 nm (typical for a photodynamic treatment (PDT) of cancer) was used. For the darker skin phototypes (V) only about 30% of the initial laser fluence rate reached a depth of 200 ìm into the skin (just into the dermis). For the PDT application, results from the computer model indicated that treatment times need to be increased by as much as 50% for very dark skin phototypes when compared to that of very light phototypes. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Physics / unrestricted

No description available.

Biomedical optics is a rapidly expanding field of research focusing on the development of methods to detect, diagnose, and treat disease using light. While there are a myriad of optical systems that have been developed for biological tissue imaging, optical diagnostics, and optical therapeutics, all of these methods suffer severely limited penetration depths due to attenuation of light by tissue constituent chromophores, including cells, water, blood, and protein structures. Tissue optical clearing is a recent area of study within biomedical optics and photonics, where chemical agents have been used to alter tissue optical properties, reducing optical absorption and scattering and enabling light delivery to and collection from deeper tissue regions. However, there are concerns as to the safety and efficacy of these chemical clearing agents in vivo, especially in the skin, where the projective barrier function of the stratum corneum must be removed. Mechanical optical clearing is a recently developed technology which utilizes mechanical loading to reversibly modify light transport through soft tissues, and much of the work published on this technique has focused on applications in skin tissue. This clearing technique enables deeper light delivery into soft tissues but does not require use of exogenous chemicals, nor does it compromise the skin barrier function. While this clearing effect is thought to be resultant from interstitial water and blood transport, the underlying mechanism has not been concretely identified nor characterized. The hypothesis of this body of work was that interstitial transport of tissue chromophores (e.g. water and blood) causes intrinsic optical property changes, reduces tissue optical absorption and scattering, and improves light delivery in diagnostic applications. To test this hypothesis, we first developed a mathematical framework to simulate mechanical optical clearing, using both mechanical finite element models and optical Monte Carlo simulations. By directly simulating interstitial water transport in response to loading, data from mechanical simulations was combined with optical Monte Carlo simulations, which enabled prediction of light transmission measurements made during mechanical indentation experiments. We also investigated changes in optical properties during mechanical indentation using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. These studies used controlled flat indentation by a fiberoptic probe to dynamically measure intrinsic optical properties as they changed over time. Finally, we apply mechanical optical clearing principles to functional near-infrared spectroscopy for neuroimaging. By building a prototypical mechanical optical clearing device for measuring cerebral hemodynamics, we demonstrated that mechanical optical clearing devices modify measured cerebral hemodynamic signals in human subjects, improving signal quality. / Ph. D.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

<p>To estimate the propagation of light in tissue-like optical phantoms (fat emulsions), this thesis utilized the diffuse reflectance spectroscopy in combination with Monte Carlo simulations. A method for determining the two-parametric Gegenbauer-kernal phase function was utilized in order to accurately describe the diffuse reflectance from poly-dispersive scattering optical phantoms with small source-detector separations. The method includes the spectral collimated transmission, spatially resolved diffuse reflectance spectra (SRDR) and the inverse technique of matching spectra from Monte Carlo simulations to those measured. An absolute calibration method using polystyrene micro-spheres was utilized to estimate the relation between simulated and measured SRDR intensities. The phase function parameters were comparable with previous studies and were able to model measured spectra with good accuracy. Significant differences between the phase functions for homogenized milk and the nutritive fat emulsions were found.</p><p> </p>

To estimate the propagation of light in tissue-like optical phantoms (fat emulsions), this thesis utilized the diffuse reflectance spectroscopy in combination with Monte Carlo simulations. A method for determining the two-parametric Gegenbauer-kernal phase function was utilized in order to accurately describe the diffuse reflectance from poly-dispersive scattering optical phantoms with small source-detector separations. The method includes the spectral collimated transmission, spatially resolved diffuse reflectance spectra (SRDR) and the inverse technique of matching spectra from Monte Carlo simulations to those measured. An absolute calibration method using polystyrene micro-spheres was utilized to estimate the relation between simulated and measured SRDR intensities. The phase function parameters were comparable with previous studies and were able to model measured spectra with good accuracy. Significant differences between the phase functions for homogenized milk and the nutritive fat emulsions were found.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

Submitted by VITOR HUGO MARQUES LUIZ null (vitorhmluiz@hotmail.com) on 2016-03-14T14:35:25Z No. of bitstreams: 1 tese Vitor Hugo repositório.pdf: 12742690 bytes, checksum: 808cc9757cd523a743880c2238379bc1 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Sandra Manzano de Almeida (smanzano@marilia.unesp.br) on 2016-03-14T17:09:34Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 luiz_vhm_dr_araiq_par.pdf: 1804257 bytes, checksum: 83b423fb984c5b0c70d305405ab840c2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-14T17:09:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 luiz_vhm_dr_araiq_par.pdf: 1804257 bytes, checksum: 83b423fb984c5b0c70d305405ab840c2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-25 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Este trabalho descreve o desenvolvimento de métodos analíticos para a determinação quantitativa de furosemida e bumetanida em amostras de urina utilizando espectroscopia por reflectância difusa (para a furosemida) e por imagem por scanner com quantificação através do histograma de cores utilizando o padrão RGB (para ambas). Envolve também o desenvolvimento de um método quantitativo para a detecção de chumbo em resíduos de armas de fogo (GSR) nas mãos de atiradores utilizando membranas de celulose bacteriana como substrato de coleta, visando o descobrimento do tempo de disparo. Também foi realizada a quantificação de chumbo em amostras de tintura para cabelos utilizando método previamente desenvolvido, visando detecção da adulteração destes produtos e controle de qualidade. Estuda também a potencialidade do uso das membranas de celulose bacteriana para a coleta de impressões digitais. Os métodos desenvolvidos consistem na reação da furosemida (FUR) com o regente cromogênico paradimetilaminocinamaldeído (p-DAC) 0,70% e ácido clorídrico (HCl) 1,72 mol L-1 em papel de filtro qualitativo com barreiras hidrofóbicas, com detecção espectrofotométrica e por histograma de cores; na reação do íon chumbo(II) (Pb2+) com rodizonato de sódio (ROD) 0,16% em meio micelar de dodecil sulfato de sódio (SDS) 5 mmol L-1 em membranas de celulose bacterianas, com detecção espectrofotométrica e por microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV); na reação de bumetanida (BMT) com o reagente p-DAC 0,6% e HCl 0,26 mol L-1 em papel de filtro qualitativo com barreiras hidrofóbicas, com detecção por histograma de cores e na coleta de impressões digitais utilizando membrana de celulose bacteriana impregnadas com ninidrina, nitrato de prata ou óxido de zinco, dos quais o nitrato de prata e a ninidrina atuaram como agentes de coleta razoáveis. Todas as concentrações foram otimizadas por planejamentos quimiométricos. As reações foram realizadas na forma de spot test, envolvendo a formação de um produto colorido em 545 nm para o chumbo, em 585 nm para a furosemida e 520 nm para a bumetanida. As curvas analíticas foram contruídas a partir de soluções padrões dos respectivos analitos. Os métodos desenvolvidos para a bumetanida e para a furosemida foram aplicados em amostras de urina sintética e natural fortificadas e os resultados obtidos foram comparados estatisticamente com métodos comparativos. A validação dos métodos foi realizada por adição de padrão e recuperação e por comparação de métodos, no caso da FUR e da BMT, obtendo-se recuperações entre 98,0 e 115,3% para os métodos de quantificação da furosemida e entre 93,0 e 102,0% para o método de quantificação da bumetanida. O método de coleta de GSR é baseado na utilização de membranas finas de celulose bacteriana desenvolvidas pelo Grupo de Materiais Fotônicos do IQ-UNESP.Para os GSR foram realizadas 40 coletas totais em tempos de coleta após o disparo (diferentes e conhecidos), sendo sua comparação realizada através das curvas analíticas, mostrando ser possível a detecção do tempo de disparo com uma margem de erro de aproximadamente 5 minutos. Os resultados foram comparados estatisticamente e os valores obtidos a partir de testes estatísticos mostraram que os métodos podem ser usados para análises de rotina em laboratórios forenses. / This work describes the development of analytical methods for the quantitative determination of furosemide and bumetanide in urine samples using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (for furosemide) and scanning imaging with quantification by color histogram using RGB color pattern (for both). It involves also the development of a quantitative method for the detection of lead in gunshot residues (GSR) in the hands of the shooters using bacterial cellulose membranes as substrate collection, aiming the discovery of shooting time. It is also done the quantification of lead in progressive hair lotions samples using a previously developed method, aiming the detection of products adulterations and quality control. It also studies the potentiality of the usage of bacterial cellulose membranes for the collection of fingerprints. The developed methods are consisted in the reaction of furosemide (FUR) with the cromogenic reagent p-dimethylamino cinnamaldehyde (p-DAC) 0.70% and hydrochloric acid (HCl) 1.72 mol L-1 in qualitative filter papers with hydrophobic barrier, with spectrophotometric detection and by color histogram; in the reaction of lead(II) ion (Pb2+) with sodium rhodizonate (ROD) 0.16% in micellar medium of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) 5 mmol L-1 in bacterial cellulose membranes with spectrophotometric detection and by scanning electron microscopy; in the reaction of bumetanide (BMT) with the reagent p-dimethylamino cinnamaldehyde (p-DAC) 0.6% and hydrochloric acid (HCl) 0.27 mol L-1 in qualitative filter papers with hydrophobic barrier with color histogram detection an in the collect of fingerprints using bacterial cellulose membranes impregnated with ninhydrine, silver nitrate or zinc oxide, of which the silver nitrate and ninhydrin acted as reasonable collection agents. All concentrations were optimized through chemometrics designs. The reactions were carried out as spot test, involving the formation of a colored product at 545 nm for lead, in 585 nm for furosemide and in 520 nm for bumetanide. Analytical curves were built from standard solutions of the respective analytes. The methods developed for furosemide and bumetanide were applied in fortified synthetic and natural urine samples and the results obtained were compared statistically with comparative methods. The validation of the methods were performed by standard addition and recovery and by comparison of methods, for FUR and BMT, yielding recoveries between 98.0 and 115.3% for furosemide quantification methods and between 93.0 and 102.0% for the quantification method for bumetanide. GSR collection method is based on the use of thin membranes of bacterial cellulose developed by Photonic Materials Group IQ-UNESP. For GSR, 40 total collections were carried out in known and different times of collection after shooting times and their comparison through analytical curves were done, showing the possibility of the detection of the shooting time with an error of 5 minutes, approximately. The results were statistically compared and the values obtained from statistical tests showed that the methods can be used for routine analysis in forensic laboratories.

L'objectif de cette thèse concerne l'association de deux techniques de mesure dans le cadre de la caractérisation in vivo de la peau. La première, nommée Spectroscopie de Réflectance Diffuse (DRS), permet la caractérisation des paramètres optiques de la peau analysée et quantifie les phénomènes d'absorption et de diffusion de la lumière. La deuxième est la microspectroscopie Raman. Elle fournit une identification chimique des composés analysés sans marquage. L'objet de cette thèse est d'évaluer l'effet de l'interaction lumière-matière sur les capacités de localisation et de quantification de la microspectroscopie Raman, lesquelles sont dégradées dans un milieu diffusant tel que la peau. Une approche in vivo bimodale (DRS et Raman) est proposée pour la caractérisation biochimique quantitative des tissus cutanés avec l'idée d'établir un protocole de correction des spectres Raman acquis, en exploitant les propriétés optiques fournies par la DRS. Elle est décomposée en trois axes de travail complémentaires : le développement d'une instrumentation DRS permettant la mesure des spectres de réflectance diffuse et le calcul des propriétés optiques dans la zone sondée par la spectroscopie Raman ; le développement de fantômes optiques permettant une compréhension expérimentale des phénomènes d'absorption, de diffusion élastique et de diffusion Raman; le développement d'un protocole de correction des spectres Raman à partir des propriétés optiques obtenues par DRS. / This thesis relates to the combination of two in vivo skin characterization techniques. On the one hand, Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (DRS) enables skin optical properties characterization by quantifying light absorption and light elastic scattering. On the other hand, Raman microspectroscopy provides information on molecular compositions of tissues with no need of labeling. Localization and quantification functions of Raman microspectroscopy are both distorted in scattering media such as skin. Therefore, the aim of this thesis was to assess the effect of light-matter interactions on these functions. A bimodal method is proposed to achieve quantitative biochemical characterization of cutaneous tissues in vivo. The main idea is to develop a procedure of Raman spectra correction based on the quantified optical properties provided by DRS. This work was divided in three complementary approaches: the development of a system enabling diffuse reflectance and optical properties measurements in the same zone as Raman microspectroscopy; the fabrication of optical phantoms improving our knowledge on absorption, elastic scattering and Raman scattering phenomena; and the development of a Raman spectra correction model as function of the skin optical properties given by DRS measurements.

Κατά τις τελευταίες δεκαετίες παρατηρείται συνεχής αύξηση της έντασης του φαινομένου του θερμοκηπίου γεγονός που προκαλεί σημαντικές συνέπειες στο περιβάλλον και στη ζωή μας γενικότερα. Συνεπώς, είναι απαραίτητη η μείωση της ανθρωπογενούς εκπομπής των αερίων που συμβάλλουν στην αύξηση του φαινομένου αυτού. Η εκμετάλλευση και χρήση των δύο πιο σημαντικών θερμοκηπικών αερίων, του μεθανίου και του διοξειδίου του άνθρακα, μπορεί να επιτευχθεί με την αναμόρφωση του CH4 με CO2 ή αλλιώς ξηρή αναμόρφωση του μεθανίου (Dry Reforming of Methane-DRM). Με τη διεργασία DRM τα δύο συγκεκριμένα αέρια μετατρέπονται σε αέριο σύνθεσης (synthesis gas), το οποίο χρησιμοποιείται είτε για τη σύνθεση πληθώρας οργανικών ενώσεων, είτε για την παραγωγή Η2 για ενεργειακούς σκοπούς. Η DRM παρουσιάζει σημαντικά πλεονεκτήματα: δεν απαιτείται η χρήση ύδατος, φθηνό σχετικά κόστος εγκαταστάσεων, χρησιμοποιείται σε χημικά συστήματα μεταφοράς ενέργειας, ενώ και το αέριο σύνθεσης που παράγεται έχει ακόμα κατάλληλη αναλογία για συνθέσεις Fischer–Tropsch. Παρόλα αυτά η DRM δεν έχει εκτεταμένη βιομηχανική εφαρμογή επειδή αντιμετωπίζει ένα σημαντικό μειονέκτημα: ο καταλύτης μετά από κάποιο χρόνο λειτουργίας απενεργοποιείται λόγω του άνθρακα που αποτίθεται πάνω του. Στην παρούσα εργασία μελετήθηκε ο state of the art καταλύτης Ni/Al2O3, τον οποίο τροποποιήσαμε με βόριο σε διάφορους λόγους [Β/(B+Νi)] με κύριο στόχο τη μείωση των ανθρακούχων αποθέσεων. Οι τροποποιημένοι καταλύτες συντέθηκαν με τη μέθοδο του υγρού συνεμποτισμού και χαρακτηρίστηκαν φυσικοχημικά με διάφορες τεχνικές, ώστε να μελετήσουμε την επίδραση του βορίου στην υφή τους (ΒΕΤ, porosimetry, SEM, TEM), στη δομή τους (XRD, UV-Vis DRS) και στην αναγωγιμότητά τους (H2-TPR). Η καταλυτική συμπεριφορά τους για την αντίδραση της ξηρής αναμόρφωσης του μεθανίου αξιολογήθηκε σε αντιδραστήρα σταθερής κλίνης, για 24h, σε συνθήκες: 973Κ, 1 atm, τροφοδοσία 50%CH4-50%CO2. Ο άνθρακας που αποτέθηκε στους χρησιμοποιημένους καταλύτες μετρήθηκε με τη μέθοδο της θερμοπρογραμματισμένης υδρογόνωσης (TPH). Τα ανηγμένα και χρησιμοποιημένα στην DRM καταλυτικά δείγματα μελετήθηκαν επίσης με ηλεκτρονικό μικροσκόπιο σάρωσης (SEM με αναλυτή EDS) και ηλεκτρονικό μικροσκόπιο διαπερατότητας (ΤΕΜ). Βρέθηκε ότι η παρουσία του Β μειώνει σημαντικά την ποσότητα του αποτιθέμενου άνθρακα στους καταλύτες Ni/Al2O3, σε ποσοστό έως και 86%, χωρίς να επηρεάζει ιδιαίτερα τη δραστικότητα και την εκλεκτικότητα των καταλυτών. Σημαντικό ρόλο παίζει το ποσοστό του Β στον καταλύτη, με τον καταλύτη με λόγο Β/(B+Νi) = 0,5 να εμφανίζει τη βέλτιστη συμπεριφορά. Τα αποτελέσματα μας έδειξαν ότι η ιδιαίτερη θετική επίδραση του βορίου οφείλεται κυρίως στο γεγονός ότι ευνοεί τη διασπορά του μεταλλικού νικελίου. Τροποποίηση με βόριο, σε κατάλληλη περιοχή φορτίσεων, του καταλύτη Ni/Al2O3 μεγιστοποιεί το πλήθος των νανοσωματιδίων νικελίου με μέση διάσταση < 6.0 nm, τα οποία, ως γνωστόν, ελαχιστοποιούν την απόθεση άνθρακα. / The intensity of the greenhouse effect is constantly increasing in the last few decades with an adverse effect both on the environment and the humanity. In order to decrease the effect, human-caused emissions should be minimized. The two most important greenhouse gases, methane and carbon dioxide, can be used in the DRM (Dry Reforming of Methane) process. With this process the above mentioned gases are converted to synthesis gas, which is then used for the synthesis of a great number of organic compounds and synthetic fuels (through the Fisher-Tropsch syntheses) or for the production hydrogen to be used as a fuel (energy purposes). The DRM process presents a number of advantages, namely: no water is required, relatively low cost of process plants,it can be used as a Chemical Energy Transfer System and, finally, the produced synthesis gas has adequate CO/H2 ratio for Fisher-Tropsch syntheses. Although DRM is a promising process, its industrial application is hindered by a major drawback: the catalysts are rapidly deactivating due to coking. In the current study, the state of the art catalyst Ni/Al2O3 was studied and modified with boron, using different ratios of Β/(B+Νi). Our primary objective was to reduce coking. The modified catalysts were synthesized by wet co-impregnation and physicochemically characterized in their oxidic, reduced and used forms, using various techniques, in order to investigate the influence of boron on the texture (BET, Porosimetry, SEM, TEM), structure (XRD, UV-Vis DRS) and reducibility (H2-TPR) of the catalysts. The catalytic performance for the DRM process was studied under stable conditions (973Κ, 1 atm and 50%CH4-50%CO2 undiluted feed), for 24h, using a fixed bed reactor. Carbonaceous deposits on the used catalysts were determined by Temperature Programmed Hydrogenation (TPH). Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with EDS analyser and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) were also used in the study of reduced and used catalytic samples. Modifying Ni/Al2O3 catalysts with boron results in a great decrease of the deposited coke (up to 86%), without any significantly influence on the activity and selectivity of the catalysts. A major factor influencing the catalyst is the B loading, with the ratio Β/(B+Νi)=0,5 giving the best results. Boron’s positive effect was mainly attributed to its ability to increase Ni dispersion. Modification of Ni/Al2O3 catalysts, by using the appropriate boron loading, resulted to an increase of the amount of nickel nanoparticles with an average dimension under 6.0 nm, which are known to minimize coke deposition.