Hal Dorrington

Research interests

Full-field Optical Coherence Tomography (FF-OCT) through Fiber-optic Imaging Bundles.

During my PhD I have developed a Fibre-bundle adapter that enables FF-OCT to be performed with flexible Fibre-bundles. The adapter generates 3D images from scattering samples in-vivo, and the images are then transmitted through the bundle. This could serve as a technology for optical biopsy in endoscopy; in which images of micro-level tissue structures are inferred from the nature of backscattered light. Ultimately, this technology could replace the practices of taking excisions in endoscopy, as well as enabling for thinner endoscopes, therefore causing less harm and discomfort to patients. It could mean real-time diagnosis of micro-structure, reducing diagnosis waiting time and improving patient care. I am still participating in this PhD, which has been sponsored by EPSRC.

Optical Coherence Tomography as a tool for the detection of latent fungal infection in soft fruits.

I am also currently employed as a Research Assistant under a BBSRC grant investigating the potential applications of OCT in crop management of soft fruits, particularly those grown in Kent, such as cherries. This could involve early stage detection of hyphae and mycelium structures that are growing closely underneath the surface of fruits. We are exploring potential modalities of detection, such as seeing changes in shape/structure, detecting microscopic changes with speckle-variance, and by measuring changes in tissue elasticity.

Professional

Education:
January 2021 - Present: PhD Student - Applied Optics, Applied optics Group, University of Kent.
September 2018 September 2019: Masters of Science by Research – Optical Physics, University of Kent.
September 2015 - July 2018: Bachelor of Science with honours – Physics; University of Kent.