Events Calendar

ECE Seminar: Technology development for functional and morphological imaging of the middle and inner ear

Speaker: Dr. Brian E. Applegate, Professor of Otolaryngology-“Head & Neck Surgery, Ophthalmology, and Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California

Talk Title: Technology development for functional and morphological imaging of the middle and inner ear

Abstract: Over the past decade we have been developing Optical Coherence Tomography and Vibrometry (OCTV) to measure the detailed morphology and vibratory response of the ear. With micron scale spatial resolution and subnanometer sensitivity to vibration it is well suited to measuring the spatially resolved vibratory response of both the inner and middle ear. In small animals, it is possible to image directly through the bone of the otic capsule for noninvasive spatially resolved vibrometry of the cochlear partition. In humans as well as small animals, it’s possible to image the tympanic membrane and ossicles through the ear canal to reveal the vibratory response of the middle ear. Nominally, this approach allows for the measure of vibratory response along the light path of the instrument, hence 1-D. In recent work we have developed a system that incorporates 3 separate sample arms in a single interferometer. This allows us to reconstruct the full 3-D vector of motion. We have also begun translating OCTV for use in humans with the development of hand-held and surgical microscope mounted devices which can be used in the clinic and OR. The seminar will be split between these two projects, outlining the technical design and discussing recent results for each.

Biography: Dr. Applegate is a Professor of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, Ophthalmology, and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Southern California. He received his Ph.D. in physical chemistry from The Ohio State University. He won a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellowship grant to continue his training at Duke University in biomedical engineering. Upon completing his fellowship, he joined the faculty of Texas A&M University where he worked for 12 years advancing to the rank of Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering. He moved to the University of Southern California in 2019 where he joined his longtime collaborator to continue their work on functional imaging of the ear. Throughout his career, his research has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, including the NSF Career award, the Department of Defense, and the National Institutes of Health.  He has served on numerous study sections at the National Institutes of Health including a term on Imaging Guided Interventions and Surgery [IGIS]. He has served as an Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging and Optics Letters. He has been elected a fellow of Optica and SPIE. His research interests are broadly to develop novel biophotonic technologies and apply them to the diagnosis and monitoring of human disease.

Host: Dr. Richard M. Leahy, leahy@usc.edu

More Info: (USC NetID login required to join seminar)

Webcast: https://usc.zoom.us/j/95027937825?pwd=hEzt0iA1hkdnoINOSMiV2wrXGzcIGo.1

Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248

WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/95027937825?pwd=hEzt0iA1hkdnoINOSMiV2wrXGzcIGo.1

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: Mayumi Thrasher

Event Link: (USC NetID login required to join seminar)