Martin Booth awarded ICO Prize 2014
October 3, 2014
Professor Martin Booth has been awarded the ICO Prize 2014 by the International Commission for Optics for “his innovative and pioneering research on dynamic optical methods and new approaches to adaptive optics”.
Booth’s research primarily concerns the development of dynamic optical methods for a range of interdisciplinary applications. A major application is the use of adaptive optics for aberration correction in high-resolution microscopy. This technique, originally developed for astronomical telescopes, uses adaptive elements, such as deformable mirrors, to correct aberrations introduced by microscope specimens. Spatial variations in refractive index due to the structure of a specimen introduce aberrations that reduce the resolution and contrast of microscope images.
Booth’s research has involved the development of new methods of phase measurement, wavefront sensing, and aberration control. This work has led to advances in biomedical imaging, including adaptive aberration correction in confocal, multiphoton and widefield sectioning microscopy. By overcoming the effects of specimen induced aberrations, adaptive optical microscopes operate effectively in thick tissue specimens, where imaging capabilities were previously limited.