Runner-Up for BioNow Innovative Aging award, November 2013.

Award: iMagiMat or the Magic Carpet was nominated as runner up for BioNow Innovative Aging award. November 2013.

Dr Patricia Scully (CEAS) and Dr Jose Cantoral Ceballos (EEE) attended the awarded dinner on Thursday 28 November together with Daniel Syder of UMIP.

http://www.bionow.co.uk/news/bionowannounceshortlistfor2013bionowannuala.aspx

iMagiMat is a tomography based sensor mat that images the real-time pressure distribution exerted by patient footsteps, to access their mobility for diagnosis and rehabilitation monitoring. The technology will be implemented as a carpet underlay for non-intrusive capture of habitual daily movement and footfall details of elderly patients, to identify the onset of gait change leading to falls, triggering intervention. Demand is driven by the aging population and medical advances that increase patient survival rates and prolong life. The intelligent mat will monitor long term conditions affecting mobility, and the effectiveness of rehabilitation and exercise regimes.

“Magic” carpet, a hi-tech safety net for elderly care Interview by Reuters News Agency.

‘Magic Carpet’ by University of Manchester That Reads Walking Patterns PhD students demonstrating the mat in action.

University press release

BBC news article

Sky new article

Manchester Evening news article

Daily Telegraph article

Remote Electronic rehabilitation service to enable safe delivery and remote monitoring of lower limb rehabilitation in the community.

A grant was awarded by Arthritis Research UK (ARUK) and Manchester AHSC Healthcare Challenge in December 2013, fo the research project: iRehabAngel: Improving care and outcomes through patient input and feedback using remote monitoring of physical rehabilitation, assessment and exercise regimen compliance before and after appointments with healthcare professionals. Development of a remote electronic rehabilitation service to enable safe delivery and remote monitoring of lower limb rehabilitation in the community. £80,000 over 12 months.

This is a grant awarded with colleagues in Nursing (Drs Emma Stanmore and Christine Brown Wilson) and colleagues in EEE (Prof Krikor Ozanyan and Dr Paul Wright) together with NHS podiatrist Neil Frame and SME MDTi (Medical Device Technology International). It uses the optical fibre imagimat (magic carpet) technology to remotely log and analyse exercising on a tilted platform to improve limb function and mobility.

It employs PDRAs Dr John Vaughan in the PSI and Dr Jose Cantoral Ceballos in EEE.

New journal paper publication: NUV femtosecond laser inscription of volume Bragg gratings in poly (methyl) methacrylate with linear and circular polarisations.

L.Ye, W. Perrie, O. Allegre, Y. Jin, Z. Kuang, P. Scully, E. Fearon, D.Eckford, S. Edwardson and G.Dearden (2013).

NUV femtosecond laser inscription of volume Bragg gratings in poly (methyl) methacrylate with linear and circular polarisations.

Laser Phys. 23 (2013) 126004.

doi:10.1088/1054-660X/23/12/126004

Published December 2013

Paper

Large, high efficiency, volume Bragg gratings with dimensions of 5 mm × 5 mm and thickness between 1 and 7 mm with 20 μm pitch have been inscribed in poly(methyl)methacrylate (PMMA) with 180 fs, 387 nm parallel beams using both linear and circular polarizations. Linear polarization (perpendicular to the scan direction) produced the highest refractive index contrast, while circular polarization produced the lowest. The measured first-order diffraction efficiency with grating thickness L agrees well with theoretical expectations, and reached a maximum of 94% near L = 4 mm, the highest yet observed in pure PMMA. The source of the variation in refractive index contrast was investigated, and it was found to be due to the polarization-dependent nonlinear filamentation, the first such observation in a pure polymer.

2012 in review-3,100 views in 2012

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog. We received 3,100 views in 2012 and our busiest day was 31 October!

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 3,100 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 5 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

Reuters News Reporter visits our lab to film the “Magic Carpet”

http://uk.reuters.com/video/2012/10/08/magic-carpet-a-hi-tech-safety-net-for-el?videoId=238243515

“Magic” carpet, a hi-tech safety net for elderly care (2:59)

In September, Jim Dury from Reuters News Agency visited us to film our Magic Carpet. You can see the link above to the film Reuters made. Prof Kriko Ozanyan and Dr Patricia Scully were interviewed and PhD student Jose Cantoral Ceballos was filmed walking on the carpet.

“Oct. 8 – Scientists at the University of Manchester have developed a prototype carpet containing plastic optical fibres which can detect the pressure exerted by someone when they fall or change their gait while walking. The carpet is connected to a computer system and is designed for use in assisted living facilities where fall-related injuries are common.”

Someone, we think it is Reuters, also developed a nice cartoon to show our carpet working. The idea is not quite right, but we really like the cartoon and would like to know who produced it! Here is the youtube link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik9WpckmIKY

SensorMat: the Manchester Magic Carpet for Footprint Imaging by Guided-Path Tomography

We presented our “Magic Carpet” this week at Photon12 at University of Durham. Here is a link to the offical press release about our SensorMat, as we like to call it..

SensorMat WaterMark — Putting the SensorMat through its paces

And here is our Abstract with the proper scientific terminology: Footprint Imaging by Guided-Path Tomography: authored by Nurgiyatna N¹, Cantoral Ceballos J¹ Wright P¹, Vaughan J^1,3. Brown-Wilson C², Fiadzomor P^3,4, Scully P J^3,4 and Ozanyan K B^1,3

1: School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. 2: School of Nursing Midwifery and Social Work. 3: Photon Science Institute. 4: School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science.

In earlier work on Photonic Guided Path Tomography we introduced the principle of imaging surface deformation by four-projection measurements of transmission through strategically placed grooved plastic optical fibres on a flexible surface with a soft foam underlay. Hough transform-based centre-of-mass imaging from data acquired with small area demonstrators using four-fibre crossing points have been reported.

In this work, targeting the dynamic imaging of human footprints, we show results from small area prototypes using only three tomographic projections with only two fibres crossing at any one point, reducing the bending-induced background which is not object-specific.

Reconstructions of bare feet and shoes footprints have been implemented with a small area demonstrator using plastic optical fibres sensitised for relatively hard surfaces, such as high-duty carpets. The measurements are taken with red LEDs and photodiodes on each line integral and images are reconstructed using the iterative Landweber technique.

The results are discussed in terms of the capability of such imaging technology to study variations in gait and walking patterns, as well as the footprint of a human body lying in various positions.

We have contributed Chapter 12 to the Springer book on “Femtosecond Laser Micromachining Photonic and Microfluidic Devices in Transparent Materials” to be published in May 2012

Femtosecond Laser Micromachining: Photonic and Microfluidic Devices in Transparent Materials

Series: Topics in Applied Physics, Vol. 123

Osellame, Roberto; Cerullo, Giulio; Ramponi, Roberta (Eds.)

2012, 2012, XVIII, 483 p. 305 illus., 85 in color.

Hardcover, ISBN 978-3-642-23365-4

Due: May 22, 2012
Presents the state-of-the-art in femtosecond laser micromachining of transparent materials

Maskless technology for the fabrication of complex microsystems
All about micromachining of transparent materials with contributions from leading experts in the field
Explains the physics of nonlinear absorption mechanisms of ultrashort pulses

Femtosecond laser micromachining of transparent material is a powerful and versatile technology. In fact, it can be applied to several materials. It is a maskless technology that allows rapid device prototyping, has intrinsic three-dimensional capabilities and can produce both photonic and microfluidic devices. For these reasons it is ideally suited for the fabrication of complex microsystems with unprecedented functionalities. The book is mainly focused on micromachining of transparent materials which, due to the nonlinear absorption mechanism of ultrashort pulses, allows unique three-dimensional capabilities and can be exploited for the fabrication of complex microsystems with unprecedented functionalities.This book presents an overview of the state of the art of this rapidly emerging topic with contributions from leading experts in the field, ranging from principles of nonlinear material modification to fabrication techniques and applications to photonics and optofluidics.

Content Level » Graduate

Keywords »Femtosecond Laser Micromachining – Femtosecond Lasers – Microfabrication of Transparent Materials – Transparent Materials – Ultrashort Laser Joining and Welding

Part I: Introductory concepts and characterization 1 Fundamentals of femtosecond Laser micromachining in transparent materials 2 -Ultrafast imaging of plasma dynamics and material response during micromachining 3 -Spectroscopic characterization of waveguides 4 -Optimizing Laser-induced refractive index changes in bulk optical materials via spatio-temporal beam shaping 5 -Controlling the cross-section of ultrafast Laser inscribed waveguides 6 –Anisotropy of femtosecond Laser writing Part II: Waveguides and optical devices in glass 7 –Passive optical waveguide devices in glass 8 – Femtosecond Laser inscription of fibre gratings 9 –3-D Bragg grating waveguide devices 10 –Active photonic devices Part III: Waveguides and optical devices in other transparent materials 11 -Waveguides in crystalline materials 12 -Refractive index structures in polymers Part IV: Microsystems and applications 13 –Discrete optics in waveguide arrays 14 –Optofluidics for biosensing 15 –Microstructuring of Photosensitive glass 16 -Microsystems and sensors 17 -Ultrashort Laser joining and welding

New Research Project: Non-invasive Monitoring of Fibre Optical Cables with Cable-Sense

£43K awarded by EPSRC for the non-invasive monitoring of fibre optical cables with Cable-Sense Ltd. Cable-Sense is a spin-out company, established to develop and manufacture new technology for non-invasive interrogation of the physical layer of networked infrastructure such as local area networks (LANs) data centres, campus networks etc. The technology enables the network cable status and connectivity information to be determined without disruption to the cable connection or information integrity.

This proposal involves a collaboration between Prof Tony Peyton (School of Electrical Engineering and Electronics) and Dr Patricia Scully (School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science), both of whom have interests in sensors, with Peyton’s background being in electromagnetics and Scully’s in optical sensors.

Professor Peyton has received several major funding awards from the EPSRC investigating electromagnetic inspection techniques, including twelve as principle investigator. Dr Scully will bring expertise in fibre optic inspection that the company need to complete their ambitions to offer a complete end to end network monitoring solution encompassing all key types of cable, especially optical.

New Research Project: Optical Fibre Sensormat to Define Patient Mobility Patterns

£48K EPSRC grant has been awarded to Dr Patricia Scully (School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science – CEAS), Prof Krikor Ozanyan (School of Electrical Engineering and Electronics), Dr Phyllis Fiadzomor (CEAS) all of the PSI, and Dr Christine Brown Wilson (School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work), to develop an optical fibre sensormat to define patient mobility patterns that precede a fall.

The sensormat will be used as a clinical tool to monitor gait and movement, enabling identification of deterioration with timely implementation of strategies to prevent falls. The technology will be subjected to clinical tests and evaluations in order to define the market and major cost savings achievable in reduced care costs for elderly people, whose independence would be maintained by appropriate intervention.

POF2011

Three of us, comprising Bo, Phyllis and Patricia, attended POF2011 conference in Bilbao, Spain, last week and we gave three presentations and a poster.

20th International Conference on Polymer Optical Fibers.

Bo Pang, Anca Taranu, Shijie Liang, Stephen Casabella, Phyllis Fiadzomor, Patricia Scully (2011) STABILITY OF LONG PERIOD GRATINGS IN POLYMER OPTICAL FIBRE. POF2011 20^th International Polymer Optical Fiber Conference, 16-19 Sept 2011

M.A.Nabeerasool, P.Fiadzomor, J.Vaughan, R.Maier, P.J. Scully (2011). OPTIMISATION OF PALLADIUM COATED POLYMER OPTICAL FIBRE SENSOR FOR DETECTING 15 PPM HYDROGEN CONCENTRATION. POF2011 20^th International Polymer Optical Fiber Conference, 16-19 Sept 2011

Nurgiyatna N, Brown-Wilson C, Fiadzomor P, Scully P and Ozanyan K B 2011). CHARACTERISATION OF GROOVED PLASTIC OPTICAL FIBRE SENSOR MAT FOR DEFORMATION IMAGING: MEDICAL APPLICATIONS. POF2011 20^th International Polymer Optical Fiber Conference, 16-19 Sept 2011

C Qiao, P.Fiadzomor, B.Hamza , P. Scully , M.Benyezzar , B.Grieve , K Ozanyan , D. Pearson (2011). DISTRIBUTED POLYMER OPTICAL FIBRE SENSING OF MOISTURE AND PH IN SOILS: FEASIBILITY FOR E-AGRICULTURE. POF2011 20^th International Polymer Optical Fiber Conference, 16-19 Sept 2011.

Polymer Sensors & Devices@Galway