Method, System and Application for 3D Molecular Diffusion Tensor Measurement and Structural Imaging (2020-022)

Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) is a versatile and widely used technique for measuring molecular diffusion properties within solutions, cells, tissues, biomaterials and the food and pharmaceutical industries. While it is a standard tool in biomedical and environmental research, all existing FRAP systems can only measure 2D diffusion, providing only diffusion measurement in limited directions. The long-standing goal to create a 3D diffusion tensor has not yet been achieved. The global Light Sheet Microscopy market segment was valued at $101.2 million in 2020 at a CAGR of 10.3% and is projected to grow to $181.9 million in 2026. This can be associated with application for a 3D FRAP microscope in the Biomaterials market segment, which was valued at $105.18 billion in 2019 at a CAGR of 14.5%. Clemson University researchers have implemented the first 3D FRAP microscope in the world by innovatively combining the 3D spatial Fourier transform FRAP method with high speed volumetric imaging and high-resolution structural imaging, calling it Light-sheet imaging-based Fourier transform FRAP (LiFT-FRAP).