Physical Electronics Dept.

You are invited to attend a lecture

By

Ofer Levi

Associate Professor, The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and The Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, The University of Toronto ofer.levi@utoronto.ca

On the subject:

Portable optical sensors and imaging systems for biomedical applications

Optical techniques are widely used in clinical settings and in biomedical research to interrogate bio-molecular interactions and to evaluate tissue dynamics. Miniature integrated optical systems for sensing and imaging can be portable, enabling long-term studies in living tissues.

We present the development of a compact multi-modality optical neural imaging system, to image tissue blood flow velocity and oxygenation, using a fast CCD camera and miniature VCSEL illumination. We combined two techniques of laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) and intrinsic optical signal imaging (IOSI) simultaneously, using these compact laser sources, to monitor induced cortical ischemia in a full field format with high temporal acquisition rates. We have demonstrated tracking seizure activity, evaluating blood-brain barrier breaching, and integrating fast spatial light modulators for extended imaging depth and auto-focusing during brain imaging of flow dynamics. Our current studies include prototype designs and system optimization and evaluation for a low-cost portable imaging system as a minimally invasive method for long-term neurological studies in un-anesthetized animals. This system will provide a better understanding of the progression and treatment efficacy of various neurological disorders, in freely behaving animals. Finally, we will review our progress in optical nano-structure sensor fabrication and optimization for bio-sensing of molecular interactions.

Biography

Dr. Ofer Levi is an Associate Professor in the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering and the Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto. Dr. Levi received his Ph.D. in Physics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel in 2000, and worked in 2000-2007 as a Postdoctoral Fellow and as a Research Associate at the Departments of Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, CA.  He serves as an Associate Editor in Biomedical Optics Express (OSA) and is a member of OSA, IEEE-Photonics, and SPIE.  His recent research areas include biomedical imaging systems and optical bio-sensors based on semiconductor devices and nano-structures, and their application to bio-medical diagnostics, in vivo imaging, and study of bio-molecular interactions.  More details can be found at http://biophotonics.utoronto.ca/

Thursday, December 18, 2014 at 15:00, Room 011, Kitot Eng. bldg.

Intelligent internally-illuminated pavement markers for lane delineation

ד"ר עמית שחר - מעבדת תפעול, תפיסה, סימולטורים וסימולציה (LEPSIS)

המכון הצרפתי למדע וטכנולוגיה של תחבורה, תכנון ורשתות   (IFSTTAR)

Abstract:

Road delineation treatments provide drivers with visual cues, which can enhance vehicle navigation and control. However, they can lead to undesirable effects and increase risk, due to behavioural adaptation or if not properly designed or installed. In recent years, the use of internally-illuminated pavement markers for road delineation has become increasingly popular. INtelligent Renewable Optical ADvisory System (INROADS) is a research and development cooperation project carried out within the 7th Framework Programme of the European Commission, dedicated to the development of intelligent road lighting applications. Within that framework, an Active Lane Delineation (ALD) application is being developed: internally-illuminated pavement markers are automatically turned on to outline the lane and road edges as a vehicle approaches to and passes through curves, and are turned off otherwise. In this talk, following an introduction on INROADS, delineation treatments and country road crashes, I will present the ALD prototype designed at The French Institute of Sciences and Technology for Transport, Development and Networks (IFSTTAR) for INROADS and a simulator experiment designed (at IFSTTAR) to shed some light on its relative effectiveness. The experiment compared night-time driving on a country road in the presence of the ALD application to driving on an unlit road and to a road illuminated by conventional road luminaries, on a number of objective and subjective criteria. At a subjective level, the participants perceived driving in the unlit condition, as less safe, less comfortable and allowing less control than in both the ALD and luminaries conditions, but there were no significant differences between these latter conditions. However, all in all the behavioral results demonstrated safer performance measures of vehicle trajectory, speed and control, in the ALD condition relative to both the unlit condition and the luminaries condition. Human factors considerations on the design of internally-illuminated pavement markers for road delineation will be discussed, focusing on the cost-benefit trade-off of the illumination effects on driver perception and driving behavior.

ההרצאה תתקיים ביום שלישי, 16.12.14, בשעה 14:00 בחדר 206, בנין וולפסון הנדסה, הפקולטה להנדסה, אוניברסיטת תל-אביב.

You are invited to attend a lecture

By

Prof. Lev Vaidman

School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University

On the subject:

Counterfactual communication

I will describe: interaction-free measurements, direct counterfactual communication protocols, an experiment in which I asked photons where have they been. And the two-state vector formalism. Finally, I will argue that counterfactual communication can be possible only for one bit value.

11 December 2014, at 15:00,

Room 011, Kitot Building