Microcirculation Imaging

This book brings together the main techniques used for imaging the small blood vessels which supply nutritional oxygen and remove waste products from the cells of the body. The rapid development of new techniques to image the microcirculation (vessels less than 100 mm in diameter) in two and three dimensions was the main driver for publishing this book. The macrocirculation of the cardiovascular system enjoys a special place in medicine and is well catered for with imaging modalities which are ever-present in our hospitals. X-ray CT, ultrasound, MRI and PET all play an important role in diagnosis and treatment of the disorders of the large vessels. However, there is a growing realisation that some of the diseases which most threaten the quality and quantity of life in the developed world, such as diabetes and cancer,  have their origins in the microcirculation. Therefore, new techniques with appropriate resolution were required to image these smaller vessels and largely these depend on the rapid developments in photonics. It is impossible to present all techniques which have been applied to the microcirculation in this book. The editor is grateful to the (unknown) reviewers of the original proposal for their suggestion to supplement the biophotonics techniques well known to him, with MRI and high frequency ultrasound. The result is a more thorough covering of the field, although I am open to further suggestions for additions in future editions. Researchers, practitioners, and professionals in the fields of diabetes, cancer, wound healing, biomedical optics and biophotonics, as well as professionals in other disciplines, such as laser physics and technology, fibre optics, spectroscopy and biology will find the book a useful resource. Graduate and undergraduate students studying biomedical physics and engineering, biomedical optics and biophotonics, and medical science would benefit greatly from consulting this reference. Several Irish and international grants supported this project: particularly the National Biophotonics Imaging Platform Ireland, funded by the Irish Government under the national development plan (NDP) 2007 - 2013 HEA PRTLI IV. I greatly appreciate the cooperation, contributions, patience and support of all the contributors, my colleagues from the School of Physics at NUI Galway, the Department of Physics at the University of Limerick, the Royal College of Surgeons and the National Biophotonics and Imaging Platform. Last, but not least, I would like to thank my family for their support and understanding during my work on this book.