Applied Optics Group head Prof Adrian Podoleanu has been awarded a Proof-of-Concept grant in collaboration with Prof Ioan Notingher from the University of Nottingham. The 6-month grant was awarded by the EPSRC Image-Guided Therapy Network+, which brings together academics, clinicians and industry partners to foster new collaborations.
The project combines the strength of Prof Podoleanu’s group in Optical Coherence Tomography with Prof Notinghers’s expertise in Raman spectroscopy, with the aim of developing a combined OCT/Raman device for non-invasive investigation and diagnosis of glue ear. This condition, where the middle part of the ear canal fills up with fluid, can lead to temporary hearing loss in children, with knock-on effects for their development. The team hope that an accurate diagnostic test could lead to a reduction in unnecessary or inappropriate surgical interventions on children.