System development from concept to prototype to application

• We gain inspiration from working closely with clinician scientists to identify an unmet clinical need or key scientific question that can be addressed with optical imaging. 

• We develop an optical design to meet the requirements of the application using commercial ray tracing software. A prototype of the optical system is built on the bench top to test optical performance. We continue iterating between software design and testing until the desired system specifications are met.

• A mechanical system to house, protect, and provide a convenient form factor for the optical system is designed. We typically manufacture using a combination of in-house 3-D printing and machining in our department run machine shop.

• A prototype is assembled and tested to ensure the system specifications meet the application requirements.

• Custom software and hardware to interface with the intended user is developed, programming in the language that best fits the application, e.g. Python, Labview, CUDA, and C, using hardware such as Field Programable Gate Arrays (FPGA) or Graphical Processor Units (GPU) to enable high-speed, real-time processing.