Detail

Keywords

Hemodynamics; Neuroimaging; Ophthalmology; Tomography, Optical Coherence

Research group(s)

• Baumann & Merkle Group
  Head: Bernhard Baumann
  Research Area: Development of multi-functional imaging techniques based on OCT for studying eye and brain diseases.
  Members:
  Conrad Merkle
  Bernhard Baumann
  Yash Patel
  Sybren Worm
  Georg Ladurner
  Maria Varaka

Research interests

My main research interests are focused on the development and application of optical imaging techniques, specifically optical coherence tomography (OCT), to study biological systems for preclinical or clinical research. In particular, I am interested in the role of microvascular hemodynamics in the progression of various brain and eye diseases and the relationships between tissue optical properties and disease state.

Techniques, methods & infrastructure

So far, I have primarily used Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) for brain and eye imaging in preclinical models. In addition to traditional OCT methods, I have also developed new methods based on spectral and exogenous contrast. Going forward, I aim to develop new system designs to expand the capabilities of OCT technology.

Grants

• Total Optical Coherence Characterization for Automated Tumor Analysis – TOCCATA (2024)
  Source of Funding: EU, ERC Starting Grant
  Principal Investigator
• Improved Biomarker Detection for Eye Disease with CaSE-OCT (2022)
  Source of Funding: FWF (Austrian Science Fund), Stand-Alone Project
  Principal Investigator

Selected publications

1. Merkle, C.W. et al., 2021. High-resolution, depth-resolved vascular leakage measurements using contrast-enhanced, correlation-gated optical coherence tomography in mice. Biomedical Optics Express, 12(4), p.1774. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/BOE.415227.
2. Merkle, C.W. et al., 2020. Indocyanine green provides absorption and spectral contrast for optical coherence tomography at 840  nm in vivo. Optics Letters, 45(8), p.2359. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OL.380051.
3. Merkle, C.W. et al., 2019. Dynamic Contrast Optical Coherence Tomography reveals laminar microvascular hemodynamics in the mouse neocortex in vivo. NeuroImage, 202, p.116067. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116067.
4. Merkle, C.W. et al., 2018. Visible light optical coherence microscopy of the brain with isotropic femtoliter resolution in vivo. Optics Letters, 43(2), p.198. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OL.43.000198.
5. Merkle, C.W. & Srinivasan, V.J., 2016. Laminar microvascular transit time distribution in the mouse somatosensory cortex revealed by Dynamic Contrast Optical Coherence Tomography. NeuroImage, 125, pp.350–362. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.10.017.