10/26/2000
Novel ‘Scanning Microprobe’ Will Deliver Images of Living Cells Deep Within the Human Body
BOTHELL, Wash., Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ — Microvision Inc. (Nasdaq: MVIS), today announced that its Imaging Solutions Group will utilize the company’s proprietary silicon micro-mirror technology to develop an ultra-high
resolution light-scanning camera, that aims to be significantly smaller and
many times more powerful than electronic cameras commonly used with today’s
diagnostic endoscopes. Initial phases of the work will be performed in
conjunction with researchers at Montana State University under a grant from
the National Science Foundation.
The microminiature camera works by scanning a beam of light across the
subject and then reading the reflected light through a small aperture as a
series of individual spots or “pixels.” The pixels are then transferred
through a thin strand of optical fiber to a detector and instantly rebuilt
into a complete image by a computer. The advantage of this approach
— referred to as confocal imaging — is that it prevents stray light
reflected off the subject from blurring the image. As a result the
light-scanning camera can enable the delivery of very high-resolution,
3D images at ultra-high magnification.
The development effort seeks to produce a microminiature confocal camera
— approximately 2mm X 10mm — that can be inserted into very small spaces to
transmit high-resolution, real time, three-dimensional images of objects at
extremely high magnification. This will enable physicians and researchers to
observe the structure of living cells inside their natural environment of the
human body.
Conventional confocal microscopes offer magnification and resolution that
rival electron microscopes, resolving objects less than 200 nanometers across,
or 1/100th the width of a human hair. Because confocal devices use waves of
light, rather than electron beams, they can be used to view living cells,
without exposing them to damaging radiation or requiring costly and
time-consuming sample preparation. However, today’s confocal microscopes are
expensive and bulky laboratory devices that typically do not scan at fast
enough rates to provide “video-rate,” or real-time image capture.
“Currently we have no way to effectively study the real living behavior of
cells in detail because we lack the advanced visualization tools to see them
in their natural environment,” commented Dr. John Liddicoat, Cardiac Surgeon
at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA. “The opportunities for
real-time visualization down at the cell level would be incredibly valuable.
We could realize a broad range of uses in medicine. For example, by applying
this technology, we may be able to accurately direct pharmacological and
mechanical interventions in such diverse fields as cardiology, pulmonolgy,
oncology, and transplantation, just to name a few. This type of visualization
tool would be enormously valuable.”
Dr. David Dickensheets, an expert in MEMS technology, and principal
investigator for the project at Montana State University added, “We have noted
unusual in-vivo behavior of many bacterial colonies when conducting biological
specimen studies. However, in order to fully understand the mysterious
behavior of these bacterial colonies we need to view them in their natural
state. Micro-miniature imaging devices are required for this type of
specialized viewing and we’re excited to work with Microvision in this very
exciting development project.”
“These types of imagers have fundamental advantages not achievable with
conventional electronic cameras and we’ve already got a good jump on some key
intellectual property,” says Chris Wiklof, Microvision’s Business Development
Manager for Imaging Solutions. “Confocal imaging techniques can be valuable
in any application where a combination of high resolution and very high
magnification are required. While it’s still very early in this project, we
believe that the enabling nature of this technology will continue to draw
interest from research sponsors and prospective commercialization partners who
see the potential for a significant business opportunity.”
“The light-scanning microprobe is a great example of the powerful
potential of Microvision’s core technology,” offered Microvision CEO
Rick Rutkowski. “We’re the best in the world at scanning a high-resolution
beam of light at very fast speeds. The development of the confocal microprobe
is consistent with our strategy of leveraging Microvision’s core microscanning
technology and our core competencies in the design and development of
high-quality optical imaging systems. It’s fundamentally the same technology
that we use to scan light across the retina to form a display.”
In addition to scientific and medical applications, Microvision believes
its scanning confocal technology may find a significant application in machine
vision systems for microelectronics fabrication quality control, optical data
storage systems, and, for equipment used in the production of micro devices
themselves.
About Microvision Imaging Solutions Group:
Microvision’s Imaging Solutions Group was formed earlier this year to
develop new applications and markets for the company’s proprietary scanning
and imaging technology, which was developed to support the real-time,
high-resolution, requirements of the company’s retinal scanning display
technology. Focused on establishing “total solutions” in the imaging space,
the company believes that a broad range of imaging applications in the
business to business, business to consumer and high-end medical and industrial
markets can take advantage of the high performance, miniature size and mass
fabrication potential of the underlying components and optical systems
technology.
About Microvision:
Headquartered in Bothell, Wash., Microvision Inc. is a world leader in
micro miniature optical scanning technology for display and imaging
applications. The company’s technology has application in a broad range of
military, medical, industrial, professional and consumer information products.
Forward Looking Statement
The information set forth in this release includes “forward-looking
statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, as amended, and is subject to the safe harbor created by those
sections. Certain factors that realistically could cause results to differ
materially from those projected in the company’s forward-looking
statements are set forth in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and
Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.