Folic acid prevents functional and structural heart defects induced by prenatal ethanol exposur

Keratoconus is a ...
Andrew M. Rollins, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). Lab Director of the Biophotonics Imaging Laboratory, Director of the Endoscopy Research Laboratory in the Division of Gastroenterology at University Hospitals of Cleveland (UHC), co-chair of the Optical Diagnostic Imaging group of the Comprehensive Cancer Center of CWRU and UHC, and a member of the Research Committee of the CWRU Biophotonics Initiative.
Dr. Rollins' research interests are in the application of advanced optics and photonics technologies for imaging and characterization of biological samples, with particular emphasis on detection of early disease and monitoring of therapy in human tissues. His research program focuses on advancing the state of the art in imaging of tissue microstructure and function using coherent optical interactions with biological samples. The technique of optical coherence tomography (OCT) is the primary basis of his research. Current clinical studies include detection of dysplasia in gastrointestinal mucosa using endoscopic OCT, biometry and diagnostic imaging in the anterior segment of the eye, in situ imaging of basal cell carcinoma in skin for application to Mohs Micrographic Surgery, and imaging of the atrio-ventricular node for elucidation of the anatomical substrate for re-entrant conduction circuits. Current development projects include imaging blood flow in living patients and animals using Doppler OCT, and developing novel functional imaging methods of spectroscopic OCT. Dr. Rollins has active collaborations with clinical and scientific investigators at CWRU (Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Ophthalmology, Department of Dermatology Department of Biomedical Engineering), the Cleveland Clinic Foundation (Cole Eye Institute), and Duke University (Department of Biomedical Engineering). Andrew Rollins received his B.S. degree in electrical and computer engineering from Brigham Young University in 1992, his M.S. degree in biomedical engineering from CWRU in 1997, and his Ph.D. degree in biomedical engineering from CWRU in January of 2000. From 1987 to 1989, Andrew served as a missionary in the Philippines. From 1992 to 1994, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Malawi, Africa. He is married to Lynn and they have a daughter, Dominica, and two sons, Alexander and Maxwell.
All previous attempts at shear-stress mapping have been two dimensional, but the 3-D geometry of the embryonic heart is changing hour by hour at these early stages, and the shape of the heart twists and turns as it develops...so a 2-D projection doesn’t really provide a good approximation...It is just like RADAR or ultrasound,” Rollins explains, “except we use infrared light and we image tiny things at really high resolution...We can use this technique to figure out just how function or dysfunction fits into normal heart development and the development of heart defects...An understanding of normal and abnormal development is critical for preventing and treating these defectIn First-ever 3-D Stress Map of Developing Embryonic Heart Sheds Light on Why Defects Form
OCT fills a role that’s not being filled by any other diagnostic technology right now...With cancers of the epithelium, many of the tissues are accessible endoscopically. Using OCT, we can image these epithelial tissues through their whole thickness, and we can see the transformations as they start to become dysplastic, which aren’t always easy to see using conventional tools.In Optical Tomography May Aid 3D Cancer Diagnostics
Avo's attention to detail and resourcefulness allowed us to move quite rapidly from concept to design to prototyping. We are looking forward to continuing with the development efforts and providing the medical community with this and other enhanced toolsIn Avo Photonics and Case Western Reserve University Are Pleased to Announce the Completion of a Design and Development Contract for an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) Forward Imaging Catheter