Optical RA-Diagnostics: From NIR-imaging to fs-Laser Cross Correlation Imaging - work in progress -

Optical imaging techniques for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (Beuthan, SPIE-PRESS IS 11, 263 pp., 1993) react (comparatively) quickly to changes in the patient's condition during RA therapy. This reduces treatment time by approximately 50% (through faster identification of the optimal medication). Previous diagnostic transmission images in the near-infrared (NIR) range were generated using a modified form of the Boltzmann equation (radiation transport theory). The aim of this paper is to achieve an approximately 100% increase in diagnostic sensitivity – in order to enable time-optimized therapies. The phase-optical evaluation of the refractive index distribution of cells and cell clusters in Ra-affected tissue volumes (preferably small joints) using fs laser pulse cross correlation (fsLCC) is therefore presented as an experimental method.