Sangwoo Oh

A review of recent progress in lens-free imaging and sensing.

Recently, lens-free imaging has evolved as an alternative imaging technology. The key advantages of this technology, including simplicity, compactness, low cost, and flexibility of integration with other components, have facilitated the realization of many innovative applications, especially, in the fields of the on-chip lens-free imaging and sensing. In this review, we discuss the development of lens-free imaging, from theory to applications. This article includes the working principle of lens-free digital inline holography (DIH) with coherent and semi coherent light, on-chip lens-free fluorescence imaging and sensing, lens-free on-chip tomography, lens-free on-chip gigapixel nanoscopy, detection of nanoparticles using on-chip microscopy, wide field microscopy, and lens-free shadow image based point-of-care systems. Additionally, this review also discusses the lens-free fluorescent imaging and its dependence on structure and optical design, the advantage of using the compact lens-free driven equilibrium Fourier transform (DEFT) resolved imaging technique for on-chip tomography, the pixel super-resolved algorithm for gigapixel imaging, and the lens-free technology for point-of-care applications. All these low-cost, compact, and fast-processing lens-free imaging and sensing techniques may play a crucial role especially in the fields of environmental, pharmaceutical, biological, and clinical applications of the resource-limited settings.

Oil Spill Detection Mechanism using Single-wavelength LED and CCD

In this study, a new optical method for oil detection using an analysis the light-absorption image of separate oil-water mixture with a LED illumination is described. To obtain an information about the presence of oil on water and the thickness of oil, the intensity of light-absorption images acquired through CCD is analyzed. To select the optimal wavelength of the light source, the experiment is conducted using several LEDs having four different wavelength. In the case of using a blue LED having 465 nm wavelength, an intensity decreasing tendency of light-absorption image is obvious and clear. To identify the applicability of sensing system at the real sea condition, experiments are conducted as varying the brightness and water surface angle. Through this research, new optical oil detection methodology is proposed using the absorption difference between water and oil with single-wavelength LED and CCD.

Development of Hydrocarbon Oil Detection Sensor using the Swelling Property of Silicone Rubber

Abstract − In this research, the oil detection method and the characteristic of sensor using the selective reactionof silicone rubber in response to hydrocarbon oil will be described. As a sensing principle, the swelling propertyof silicone rubber in response to hydrocarbon fuel is used, also a strain gauge is used to transduce the volumechange to an electrical signal. The sensor core is manufactured with a strain gauge embedded in silicone rubberby the curing process and experiments for characteristics of sensor core with various oils were carried out. Itis shown that the sensor core can be used as an oil spill detection sensor. Also, for the application to the seaarea, a buoy type sensor platform is integrated with a sensor core and a strain amplifier and it is tested in thesimulated oil spill condition. In this study, it is proven that the integrated sensor can be used for the detectionof various oils. Keywords: Oil Spill Detection Sensor(유출유 탐지 센서), Silicone Rubber(실리콘 고무), Strain Gauge(스트레인 게이지), Buoy Type Sensor(부이 형태 센서), Hydrocarbon Oil(유류계 탄화수소 )

Automated Micro-Object Detection for Mobile Diagnostics Using Lens-Free Imaging Technology

Lens-free imaging technology has been extensively used recently for microparticle and biological cell analysis because of its high throughput, low cost, and simple and compact arrangement. However, this technology still lacks a dedicated and automated detection system. In this paper, we describe a custom-developed automated micro-object detection method for a lens-free imaging system. In our previous work (Roy et al.), we developed a lens-free imaging system using low-cost components. This system was used to generate and capture the diffraction patterns of micro-objects and a global threshold was used to locate the diffraction patterns. In this work we used the same setup to develop an improved automated detection and analysis algorithm based on adaptive threshold and clustering of signals. For this purpose images from the lens-free system were then used to understand the features and characteristics of the diffraction patterns of several types of samples. On the basis of this information, we custom-developed an automated algorithm for the lens-free imaging system. Next, all the lens-free images were processed using this custom-developed automated algorithm. The performance of this approach was evaluated by comparing the counting results with standard optical microscope results. We evaluated the counting results for polystyrene microbeads, red blood cells, HepG2, HeLa, and MCF7 cells lines. The comparison shows good agreement between the systems, with a correlation coefficient of 0.91 and linearity slope of 0.877. We also evaluated the automated size profiles of the microparticle samples. This Wi-Fi-enabled lens-free imaging system, along with the dedicated software, possesses great potential for telemedicine applications in resource-limited settings.

A Field-Portable Cell Analyzer without a Microscope and Reagents

This paper demonstrates a commercial-level field-portable lens-free cell analyzer called the NaviCell (No-stain and Automated Versatile Innovative cell analyzer) capable of automatically analyzing cell count and viability without employing an optical microscope and reagents. Based on the lens-free shadow imaging technique, the NaviCell (162 × 135 × 138 mm3 and 1.02 kg) has the advantage of providing analysis results with improved standard deviation between measurement results, owing to its large field of view. Importantly, the cell counting and viability testing can be analyzed without the use of any reagent, thereby simplifying the measurement procedure and reducing potential errors during sample preparation. In this study, the performance of the NaviCell for cell counting and viability testing was demonstrated using 13 and six cell lines, respectively. Based on the results of the hemocytometer (de facto standard), the error rate (ER) and coefficient of variation (CV) of the NaviCell are approximately 3.27 and 2.16 times better than the commercial cell counter, respectively. The cell viability testing of the NaviCell also showed an ER and CV performance improvement of 5.09 and 1.8 times, respectively, demonstrating sufficient potential in the field of cell analysis.

A Human Serum-Based Enzyme-Free Continuous Glucose Monitoring Technique Using a Needle-Type Bio-Layer Interference Sensor.

The incidence of diabetes is continually increasing, and by 2030, it is expected to have increased by 69% and 20% in underdeveloped and developed countries, respectively. Therefore, glucose sensors are likely to remain in high demand in medical device markets. For the current study, we developed a needle-type bio-layer interference (BLI) sensor that can continuously monitor glucose levels. Using dialysis procedures, we were able to obtain hypoglycemic samples from commercial human serum. These dialysis-derived samples, alongside samples of normal human serum were used to evaluate the utility of the sensor for the detection of the clinical interest range of glucose concentrations (70–200 mg/dL), revealing high system performance for a wide glycemic state range (45–500 mg/dL). Reversibility and reproducibility were also tested over a range of time spans. Combined with existing BLI system technology, this sensor holds great promise for use as a wearable online continuous glucose monitoring system for patients in a hospital setting.

Oil Fluorescence Spectrum Analysis for the Design of Fluorimeter

해양에서 기름 유출 사고로 인한 오염도를 정량적으로 평가하기 위해서, 사고 현장에서 기름을 직접 탐지할 수 있는 센서의 적용이 필요하다. 여러 형태의 기름 탐지 센서 중에서, 기름 성분에 의한 형광 현상(fluorescence)을 탐지 원리로 하는 센서는 해수 중에 존재하는 기름의 농도를 측정할 수 있으므로 효용성이 높은 장점을 갖고 있다. 그러나 이런 종류의 센서는 기름의 형광 현상을 야기시키기 위해서, 수은 램프(mercury lamp)와 같은 자외선 광원(ultraviolet light source)이 필요하고 다양한 종류의 광학 필터와 광전증배관(photomultiplier tube, PMT)과 같은 광학 센서가 주로 사용된다. 이러한 이유로 형광 측정을 기반으로 하고 있는 센서는 측정 플랫폼의 크기가 크기 때문에 현장에서 원활히 사용하기에 한계가 있으며, 고가의 부품들이 집적되어 있어, 센서의 가격이 높은 단점을 갖고 있다. 이러한 단점을 극복하기 위해서, 본 논문에서는 소형의 크기와 가격 경쟁력을 갖고 있는 형광 광도계 기반의 기름 탐지 센서를 설계하는 방법에 대해서 제시하였다. 형광 광도계의 설계 인자를 파악하기 위한 방법으로, 본 연구에서는 5종의 원유 샘플과 3종의 정제유를 이용하여, 기름의 여기 스펙트럼(excitation spectrum)과 발광 스펙트럼(emission spectrum)을 측정하였다. 여기 스펙트럼과 발광 스펙트럼의 측정을 위해서는 형광 분광기(fluorescence spectrometer)를 이용하였고, 측정된 스펙트럼 자료를 분석하여 형광 광도계(fluorimeter) 설계에 필요한 유종에 따른 공통 스펙트럼 파장 대역을 도출하였다. 본 실험을 통해서 모든 종류의 기름 샘플의 경우, 여기 스펙트럼과 발광 스펙트럼의 최고 값을 갖는 파장의 차이는 약 50 nm인 것으로 파악되었다. 실험 중에서, 여기광의 파장을 365 nm와 405 nm로 고정하였을 경우, 280 nm와 325 nm로 고정하였을 경우에 비해서 최대 발광(emission)의 세기가 작아지는 것을 확인할 수 있었다. 따라서 형광 광도계의 광원 파장을 365 nm 또는 405 nm로 사용할 경우, 광학 센서의 민감도(sensitivity)가 발광되는 빛의 세기를 측정할 수 있도록 설계에 반영해야 할 것으로 판단된다. 본 연구의 실험에서 도출된 결과를 통해서, 기름 탐지를 위한 형광 광도계의 광원, 광학 센서 그리고 광학 필터의 유효 파장 대역을 선택하는데 필요한 설계 인자를 파악할 수 있었다.

Multi-Spectral Ship Detection using Optical, Hyperspectral, and Microwave SAR Remote Sensing for Sustainability of the Coastal Region

As human activities of the countries in the East Asia have been remarkably expanding over recent decades, various problems in relation to ships, such as oil spill and many other coastal marine pollution, are continuously occurring in the coastal region. In order to conserve marine resources and prepare for possible ship accidents in advance, the need for efficient ship management is increasing over time. Multi-satellite, multi-sensor, multi-wavelength or multifrequency observations make it possible to monitor a variety of vessels in the coastal region. This study presents the results of ship detection methodology applied to multi-spectral satellite images in the seas around Korean Peninsula based on optical, hyperspectral, and microwave remote sensing. To detect ships from hyperspectral images with a few hundreds of spectral channels, spectral matching algorithms are used to investigate similarity between the spectra and in-situ measurements. In the case of SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) images, the Constant False Alarm Rate (CFAR) algorithm is used to discriminate the vessels from backscattering coefficients of Sentinel-1 SAR and ALOS-2 PALSAR2 images. The present ship detection methods can be extensively utilized for optical, hyperspectral, and SAR images for comprehensive coastal management purposes toward perpetual sustainability in the future.

Real-time Micro-algae Flocculation Analysis Method Based on Lens-free Shadow Imaging Technique (LSIT)

− Micro-algae, one of the biological resources for alternative energy, has been heavily studied. Among various methods to analyze the status of the micro-algae including counting, screening, and flocculation, the flocculation approach has been widely accepted in many critical applications such as red tide removal study or microalgae resource study. To characterize the flocculation status of the micro-alga. A traditional optical modality, i.e., photospectrometry, measuring the optical density of the flocs has been frequently employed. While this traditional optical method needs shorter time than the counting method in flocculation status analysis, it has relatively lower detection accuracy. To address this issue, a novel real-time micro-algae flocculation analysis method based on the lens-free shadow imaging technique (LSIT) is introduced. Both single cell detection and floc detection are simultaneously available with a proposed lens-free shadow image, confirmed by comparing the results with optical microscope images. And three shadow parameters, e.g., number of flocs, effective area of flocs, and maximum size of floc, enabling quantification of the flocculation phenomenon of micro-alga, are firstly demonstrated in this article. The efficacy of each shadow parameter is verified with the real-time flocculation monitoring experiments using custom developed cohesive agents.

Smartphone based automated microparticle analysis system

Cell and microparticle analysis is one of the major task in all pathological labs. The concentration profile, such as red blood cell (RBC), white blood cell (WBC), platelet concentration are the key parameters for early diagnosis of many diseases. However in most laboratories, especially in resource limited settings, this diagnosis are done manually using conventional optical microscope. This manual process is slow and prone to subjective error. In this paper we demonstrate a smartphone based automated cell detection and counting system. The system is based on the lens-free imaging method, which is a compact facility made up of inexpensive components. We evaluated the performance of the system as well as smartphone algorithm by evaluating the concentration of the micro particles of different sizes. This results were then compared with the conventional optical microscope result. The correlation coefficients of this comparisons shows a great agreement between the two modalities. This kind of compact system along with the wireless facility would be a good point of care facility in resource limited settings.