As a result, biomedical engineers at Duke University have developed a revolutionary imaging system. It’s known by the name ReFLeCT, short for reflective Fourier light field computed tomography. This cutting-edge technology equips scientists to record ultra-fast, four-dimensional (4D) videos of free-swimming creatures. The result is a major breakthrough in the exciting field of computational imaging.
Roarke Horstmeyer, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering, was the principal inventor behind the ReFLeCT. It operates in a novel setup with a huge parabolic mirror and an array of 54 cameras. This complex arrangement allows for the high-speed, uncontrolled acquisition of wildlife motion from thirty-five simultaneous angles. The system is based on the most advanced data processing algorithms found in the astronomy field. This allows it to virtually match the clarity of ultra-speedy videos.
In this regard, this technology is ideally suited for the high speed acquisition of zebrafish and fruit fly larvae movements. It provides biologists with an unprecedented tool to study these creatures’ dynamics live in action. ReFLeCT can then produce beautiful 3D videos of these samples at jaw-dropping speed of up to 120 volumes per second. This new, remarkable capability transforms our understanding of biological processes in astounding new ways.
Technical Innovations Behind ReFLeCT
ReFLeCT’s design is informed by ideals often reserved for the field of astronomical imaging. Using mirrored concavities, it images in an unprecedented manner, not yet introduced into the realm of biological studies. Horstmeyer remarked on this novel application, stating,
“Astronomers use concave mirrors to capture their own images, but I’d never heard about it being used in this context.”
To make this possible, ReFLeCT uses a parabolic mirror in combination with a sensor network. This configuration allows it to gather imaging data from many different perspectives simultaneously. This is a major flip from traditional approaches, where researchers frequently had to redirect their targets as animals migrated. Horstmeyer summed up the benefit of this approach succinctly, noting,
“With other 3D techniques, you’ll often have to move your focus as your model moves, but we don’t have to move anything because the cameras are synchronously capturing data from almost every perspective.”
This ability to capture high-speed movements without altering the setup opens new avenues for research in various fields, particularly biology and neuroscience.
Applications and Future Prospects
The potential impact of ReFLeCT goes far beyond merely recording video, as it promises cutting-edge pain and neuro-imaging research studies too. Horstmeyer was excited about taking the system’s capabilities beyond reading, saying,
“I think it would be really exciting to be able to use this in neuro-imaging studies as well, so we’re already looking at ways to upgrade the system for expanded uses.”
Researchers are already clamoring to use this revolutionary technology in their research, highlighting its critical role in moving biological research forward.
Kevin C. Zhou, a postdoc with Horstmeyer, said that excitement is palpable among biologists interested in using the tool. According to him,
“This tool has gotten biologists excited because they can see these 3D movements and study them at high speed, so it’s been really satisfying to see them eager to use this tool.”
This excitement is an indication of just how transformative ReFLeCT would be for the study of dynamic and complex biological processes.