Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Bioluminescent Bacterial Imaging In Vivo
05:06

Bioluminescent Bacterial Imaging In Vivo

Published on: November 4, 2012

Temperature-modulated bioluminescence tomography.

Ge Wang, Haiou Shen, Wenxiang Cong

    Optics Express
    |June 17, 2009
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Immunosuppressive therapies adversely affect blood biochemical parameters in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a meta-analysis.

    The Journal of international medical research·2019
    Same author

    Facile synthesis of Ag-CuO/SBA-15 for aerobic epoxidation of olefins with high activity.

    Nanotechnology·2019
    Same author

    Reinforcement of Polylactic Acid for Fused Deposition Modeling Process with Nano Particles Treated Bamboo Powder.

    Polymers·2019
    Same author

    Comparison of deep learning and human observer performance for detection and characterization of simulated lesions.

    Journal of medical imaging (Bellingham, Wash.)·2019
    Same author

    Bending Flexibility of Moso Bamboo (<i>Phyllostachys Edulis</i>) with Functionally Graded Structure.

    Materials (Basel, Switzerland)·2019
    Same author

    CT Super-Resolution GAN Constrained by the Identical, Residual, and Cycle Learning Ensemble (GAN-CIRCLE).

    IEEE transactions on medical imaging·2019
    Same journal

    Denoising algorithm of Φ-OTDR systems based on adaptive fractional wavelet transform denoising.

    Optics express·2026
    Same journal

    Millisecond photon-to-photon latency and high-speed volumetric projection system for optogenetics.

    Optics express·2026
    Same journal

    Polarization-encoded coaxial structured light for high-precision 3D surface profilometry.

    Optics express·2026
    Same journal

    Discrete freeform optical design based on collaborative optimization of point cloud and local normals.

    Optics express·2026
    Same journal

    Ultrafast ghost imaging with 25 GHz speckle switching and wavelength-division multiplexing.

    Optics express·2026
    Same journal

    Atomic vapor cells fabricated by femtosecond laser welding of standard-optical-quality glass.

    Optics express·2026
    See all related articles

    This article introduces a new imaging technique that uses controlled heat to improve the accuracy of tracking light-emitting sources inside small animals. By applying focused ultrasound to specific areas, researchers can better pinpoint the location and strength of these signals, overcoming traditional limitations in image reconstruction.

    Area of Science:

    • Biomedical engineering and Temperature-modulated bioluminescence tomography research
    • Optical imaging and diagnostic physics

    Background:

    The inherent ill-posedness of bioluminescence tomography remains a significant hurdle for accurate deep-tissue imaging. Prior research has shown that light scattering in biological media complicates the precise localization of internal sources. No prior work had resolved how to leverage environmental variables to stabilize these complex inverse problems. That uncertainty drove the investigation into the thermal sensitivity of light-emitting proteins. It was already known that bioluminescent spectra shift in response to temperature changes. This gap motivated the development of a strategy that exploits these predictable spectral variations. Researchers recognized that thermal modulation could provide unique constraints for image reconstruction algorithms. This study addresses the challenge by integrating thermal control into standard optical imaging workflows.

    Purpose Of The Study:

    The aim of this study is to introduce a novel imaging technique that leverages temperature dependence to enhance bioluminescence tomography performance. Researchers seek to overcome the inherent ill-posedness that typically limits the accuracy of deep-tissue optical reconstructions. The motivation stems from the observation that bioluminescent spectra are sensitive to thermal variations. By controlling the temperature of specific volumes of interest, the team intends to create unique constraints for the reconstruction algorithm. This strategy addresses the challenge of accurately pinpointing light-emitting sources within scattering media. The authors propose that this method will provide a more stable and reliable imaging solution. They aim to demonstrate the merits of their approach through rigorous numerical experimentation. Ultimately, the study explores how thermal modulation can be integrated into existing optical imaging workflows to improve diagnostic outcomes.

    Keywords:
    focused ultrasoundinverse problemspectral shiftdeep-tissue imaging

    Frequently Asked Questions

    The researchers propose that focused ultrasound heating of specific volumes of interest induces measurable changes in surface optical signals. This thermal modulation provides additional constraints, which stabilizes the inverse problem and improves the accuracy of source localization compared to standard reconstruction methods.

    The authors employ a focused ultrasound array to target small volumes of interest one at a time. This hardware allows for precise, localized heating, which is necessary to generate the specific spectral shifts required for the reconstruction algorithm to function effectively.

    The researchers state that precise, localized heating is necessary because the reconstruction algorithm relies on detecting changes in the optical signal originating from specific, small volumes of interest. Without this spatial specificity, the algorithm cannot differentiate between thermal effects and background noise.

    More Related Videos

    Longitudinal Follow-Up of Urinary Tract Infections and Their Treatment in Mice using Bioluminescence Imaging
    07:39

    Longitudinal Follow-Up of Urinary Tract Infections and Their Treatment in Mice using Bioluminescence Imaging

    Published on: June 14, 2021

    Flexible Measurement of Bioluminescent Reporters Using an Automated Longitudinal Luciferase Imaging Gas- and Temperature-optimized Recorder (ALLIGATOR)
    10:33

    Flexible Measurement of Bioluminescent Reporters Using an Automated Longitudinal Luciferase Imaging Gas- and Temperature-optimized Recorder (ALLIGATOR)

    Published on: December 13, 2017

    Related Experiment Videos

    Last Updated: Jun 22, 2026

    Bioluminescent Bacterial Imaging In Vivo
    05:06

    Bioluminescent Bacterial Imaging In Vivo

    Published on: November 4, 2012

    Longitudinal Follow-Up of Urinary Tract Infections and Their Treatment in Mice using Bioluminescence Imaging
    07:39

    Longitudinal Follow-Up of Urinary Tract Infections and Their Treatment in Mice using Bioluminescence Imaging

    Published on: June 14, 2021

    Flexible Measurement of Bioluminescent Reporters Using an Automated Longitudinal Luciferase Imaging Gas- and Temperature-optimized Recorder (ALLIGATOR)
    10:33

    Flexible Measurement of Bioluminescent Reporters Using an Automated Longitudinal Luciferase Imaging Gas- and Temperature-optimized Recorder (ALLIGATOR)

    Published on: December 13, 2017

    Main Methods:

    The review approach involves a numerical simulation framework designed to test the efficacy of thermal modulation. Investigators implement a model where a focused ultrasound array provides localized heating to defined volumes of interest. This strategy aims to generate distinct spectral variations that the reconstruction algorithm can exploit. The team evaluates the performance of their model using both clean and corrupted datasets to ensure reliability. They compare the stability of their new reconstruction process against conventional techniques that lack thermal input. The design focuses on quantifying how temperature-induced signal changes assist in solving the inverse problem. Researchers utilize computational tools to simulate the light propagation and thermal response within a virtual mouse model. This systematic assessment confirms the potential of the proposed methodology across various imaging scenarios.

    Main Results:

    The strongest finding indicates that thermal modulation significantly stabilizes the reconstruction of bioluminescent sources. Numerical experiments show that the proposed technique successfully improves image quality regardless of the presence of noise. The authors report that inducing detectable signal changes on the body surface allows for more accurate localization of internal targets. Their data confirm that the method functions effectively in both noise-free and noisy environments. This performance improvement is achieved by utilizing the temperature dependence of the bioluminescent spectra as a constraint. The results demonstrate that the approach is versatile, extending to two-dimensional imaging and computational optical biopsy. These findings highlight the potential for superior performance compared to standard tomography methods. The study provides quantitative evidence that thermal control effectively addresses the inherent ill-posedness of the imaging process.

    Conclusions:

    The authors propose that their thermal modulation strategy offers a robust solution for stabilizing bioluminescence tomography reconstructions. Their findings suggest that focused ultrasound heating effectively induces detectable optical changes on the body surface. This approach demonstrates clear advantages when processing both noise-free and noisy datasets during numerical simulations. The team highlights that this methodology extends beyond tomography to include two-dimensional bioluminescence imaging. They also suggest that computational optical biopsy could benefit from these temperature-dependent signal variations. The researchers believe this technology represents a significant advancement for small animal imaging applications. Their work provides a practical pathway for enhancing the resolution of deep-tissue optical signals. These results indicate that thermal control serves as a powerful tool for overcoming traditional reconstruction limitations.

    The authors utilize numerical experiments to validate their approach. These simulations incorporate both noise-free and noisy datasets to test the robustness of the reconstruction algorithm under varying conditions, demonstrating that the method maintains performance even when signal quality is degraded.

    The researchers measure the change in the optical signal detected on the body surface of a mouse. This measurement captures the spectral shift induced by the localized heating, which serves as the input for the improved reconstruction process.

    The authors claim that this technology represents a major step forward for the field of bioluminescence tomography. They suggest it has immediate applicability for general small animal imaging, providing a more reliable way to visualize internal light-emitting sources.