Blood Monitor Saves Critical Surgery Time
#BloodMonitor
Blood Monitor Saves Critical Surgery Time
#BloodMonitor
Research Terms
This UCF invention is a compact optical module that measures both amplitude and phase of scattered light in real time by encoding spatial frequency content into distinct polarization states. A custom polarization filter placed in the Fourier plane separates reference (low frequency) and scattered (high frequency) components into orthogonal circular polarizations. A polarization sensitive camera then analyzes their interference, enabling enhanced contrast and subwavelength phase imaging, even under ambient illumination. The module can attach to standard microscopes or portable imaging platforms, offering a robust, alignment free, low cost technique for nanoscale and label free optical detection across biomedical, industrial, and scientific applications.
Technical Details: The system uses a 4f imaging configuration where a custom Fourier plane polarization filter—composed of spatially segmented linear polarizers and a broadband quarter wave plate—maps different spatial frequencies into orthogonal polarization states. After recombination, the interference pattern is captured either through sequential analyzer rotations or, in real time, via a polarization camera.
Because reference and scattered fields share the same optical path, the system inherently mitigates drift, vibration, and coherence instability typical of conventional interferometers. High frequency spatial components are heterodyned into detectable contrast, enabling the extraction of subwavelength scale features. Experiments demonstrate detection of particles <100 nm using broadband LEDs. The architecture supports step wise phase shifting or single shot phase retrieval, with sensitivity scaling favorably with photon counts and detector well capacity. The system is modular, stable, compatible with incoherent illumination, and designed to be miniaturized for integration into mobile or laboratory imaging tools.
The University of Central Florida invention is a type of polarimeter. Its self-referencing nature makes it ideal for accurately measuring the properties of beams in any state of polarization, regardless of their direction of incidence. The compact design and single-shot operation make the invention useful in time-resolved remote sensing applications. Moreover, the design uses all the incoming photons; therefore, it is suitable for low-light applications. Lastly, the concept is general, and it can be applied to any spectral domain, including ultraviolet, visible and infrared.
Partnering Opportunity
The research team is looking for partners to develop the technology further for commercialization.
Stage of Development
Prototype available.
The University of Central Florida invention introduces a wearable system designed to monitor blood coagulation without the need for invasive procedures. By utilizing optical sensing methods, the device can detect and analyze blood flow characteristics through the skin. The system is intended to provide real-time feedback on coagulation status, offering a more comfortable and accessible alternative to traditional blood tests. It is particularly suited for individuals requiring frequent monitoring, such as those undergoing anticoagulation therapy.
Technical Details: The UCF invention includes a wearable sensor that emits light and detects its interaction with blood flow beneath the skin. Collected data is transmitted wirelessly to a controller, such as a smartphone or dedicated device, where it is processed to extract relevant indicators. The system is designed to operate in various modes to optimize signal quality and adapt to different users and conditions. Advanced signal processing techniques are employed to enhance measurement reliability.
The University of Central Florida invention is a system for performing dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements for a broad range of material systems. The new instrumentation offers significant advantages over existing technologies, providing the ability to characterize samples that are time-evolving or non-stationary without sample preparation. The instrument is robust and compact, and it does not require specific optical alignment or calibration.
Partnering Opportunity
The research team is looking for partners to develop the technology further for commercialization.
Researchers at the University of Centraal Florida have developed a non-invasive sensor for monitoring a patient's various parameters, such as glucose concentrations. With the invention, patients could monitor themselves intermittently or continuously, without the need to painfully withdraw blood or perform complex chemical tests. Several electrochemical methods determine blood glucose concentration, but all require collecting a small blood sample. Optical sensing methods do not require collecting biological samples, allowing them to operate as truly non-invasive techniques, but such methods undergo significant interferences hindering an accurate reading. In samples, such as blood, which contain one or more components with different refractive indices, it may be difficult to obtain useful information. Prior methods, such as infrared absorption spectroscopy, have failed to obtain an analyte's (solvent, glucose or drug) concentration directly from its absorption spectrum within a sample due to strong scattering. Therefore, there is a need to develop a method in which the scattering influence is isolated from the absorption coefficients in a variety of materials.
Technical Details
The invention characterizes optically dense materials using an integrated optical sensor by independently determining the scattering and absorption coefficients for the materials. This novel sensor is based on low coherence interferometry and can be used as a non-invasive, fast, and inexpensive instrument for measuring the concentration of glucose in the skin. It can also be used to characterize tissues such as arteries and other organs during endoscopic procedures. Finally, it can be used for the characterization of complex composite materials in a variety of coating and material science applications.
UCF researchers have developed a breakthrough early-detection system that helps detect life-threatening blood clots during and after a medical procedure. Conventional laboratory blood coagulation tests are time-intensive, requiring blood to be drawn, processed and analyzed. The UCF real-time blood coagulation monitor continuously monitors a patient's blood coagulation status and eliminates the need for blood withdrawal and sample processing. By enabling real-time assessment, the technology avoids operational delays and could facilitate timely diagnosis and early clinical intervention. The technology has been tested in several clinical settings, most recently at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children.
Technical Details
The robust and inexpensive monitoring system uses a low-coherence dynamic light scattering technique (LC-DLS) to monitor a patient's blood. The system's solid-state laser technology easily integrates with existing vascular access devices or laboratory equipment. Medical staff can use the system to monitor blood coagulation status in vivo during and after a medical procedure. The invention also enables in vitro blood testing and pre-surgical screening for risks associated with excessive bleeding during surgery.
The coagulation monitor consists of a sample probe containing an optical fiber, an optical detector, and a dynamic light signal analyzer. The probe transmits low-coherence light through the optical fiber into the blood. Light scatter signals generated by the circulating red blood cells (in vivo) or blood sample (in vitro) are received by the optical fiber, detected by the optical detector, and analyzed by the dynamic light signal analyzer. The analyzer compares the light scatter signals to a predetermined coagulation value or range and then reports the coagulation status of the blood and/ or clotting time. The system also accommodates multiplexing with other optical assays.
Optical Rheology of Blood during Cardiovascular Surgery, Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, OSA Technical Digest, June 2016
This UCF invention introduces a remote, non-invasive optical instrument that uses dark hollow (ring-shaped) beams to probe ultra-weak interfacial fluctuations with unprecedented sensitivity. By creating a true zero-background condition, this technology achieves breakthrough detection of phenomena invisible to conventional methods. Measurements are performed along the illumination axis and orthogonal to the interface, enabling detection of thermal and structural signals that conventional scattering misses, including nonequilibrium phenomena at liquid–vapor boundaries.
Technical Details: The instrument generates dark hollow beams (e.g., Laguerre–Gauss, Bessel–Gauss) using an SLM or axicon and reflects them at normal incidence from the interface. A fixed on-axis detector records light scattered into the beam’s dark core by interfacial inhomogeneities. Adjusting beam radius/width electronically emulates changing scattering angle, avoiding moving parts. Characterization in proof-of-principle studies includes SIMS/XRD not required here; optical detection via high-sensitivity camera (photon-counting optional) and analysis versus temperature/time capture equilibrium and nonequilibrium behavior. Optional azimuthal polarization can further enhance on-axis signal.
