We welcome our next speaker in our series, Dr. Stephen Boppart. He is the Grainger Distinguished Chair in Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).
Seeing Behind the Curtain: Noninvasive Optical Imaging of Bacterial Biofilms in the Middle Ear and their Clinical Implications in Ear Infections
ABSTRACT: The accurate diagnosis of ear infections (otitis media, OM) often lies in navigating numerous qualitative and confounding factors that may present during a physical exam. Fundamentally, the surface visualization of the ear drum (tympanic membrane, TM) and the visualization of middle ear content through this translucent structure is often challenging, leading to more qualitative assessments and limited diagnostic accuracy. While pneumatic otoscopy and tympanometry are additional techniques to better detect and characterize the ear for the presence of an effusion (fluid), their practical use is far less than standard otoscopy. New imaging technology and automated computational analysis methods are therefore needed to visualize middle ear content to improve the diagnostic capabilities of healthcare providers and improve the management of this highly prevalent disease. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an optical biomedical imaging technology that is the optical analogue to ultrasound imaging, being able to generate real-time cross-sectional images through highly scattering tissue structures with micron-scale resolution. Over the past 15 years, we have developed, translated, and commercialized OCT technology for noninvasive clinical imaging of the human middle ear. Handheld probe-based systems with both OCT and video otoscopy imaging capabilities enable visualization and characterization of middle ear effusions and bacterial biofilms, and pneumatic and spectroscopic imaging capabilities have been used to quantify effusion viscosity and the presence of bacteria. These advances, among others, reveal new in vivo image-based metrics and optical signatures to assess and differentiate OM and other ear pathologies, with the potential to more effectively manage and refer patients based on quantitative data.
BIO: Stephen Boppart is the Grainger Distinguished Chair in Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) with appointments in the Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Bioengineering, and the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology. His Biophotonics Imaging Laboratory is focused on developing novel optical biomedical diagnostic and imaging technologies and translating these into clinical applications. Prof. Boppart received his Ph.D. in Medical and Electrical Engineering from MIT, his M.D. from Harvard Medical School, and specialty training in Internal Medicine. He has published over 400 invited and contributed publications, delivered over 1000 invited and contributed presentations, and has over 50 patents related to optical biomedical imaging technology. He has mentored over 200 interdisciplinary undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate researchers. He was recognized by MIT Technology Review magazine as one of the Top 100 Young Innovators for his development of medical technology, and with the Paul F. Forman Engineering Excellence Award from the Optical Society of America for dedication and advancement in undergraduate research education. More recently he received the international Hans Sigrist Prize in the field of Diagnostic Laser Medicine, the IEEE Technical Achievement Award, and the SPIE Biophotonics Technology Innovator Award. Prof. Boppart has co-founded four start-up companies to commercialize and disseminate his optical technologies and has been inducted into the National Academy of Inventors. He is a Fellow of AAAS, IEEE, OSA, SPIE, AIMBE, IAMBE, and BMES. He established and served as Director of Imaging at Illinois, a university-wide program to integrate imaging science, technology, and applications across multiple modalities and fields, and is currently Director of the Center for Optical Molecular Imaging, supported by an academic-clinical-industry partnership with GlaxoSmithKline. Prof. Boppart has been a strong advocate for the integration of engineering, technology, and medicine to advance human health and our healthcare systems. He played a central role in the visioning, development, and launch of the new engineering-based Carle Illinois College of Medicine at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and is currently serving as the Executive Associate Dean and Chief Diversity Officer.
