Active Intensity Interferometry: One to watch at the cutting edge of HealthTech in 2025
- Lloyd Price
- May 26
- 4 min read
Active intensity interferometry: One to watch at the cutting edge of HealthTech in 2025
At its core, intensity interferometry, including its "active" variant, relies on correlating fluctuations in light intensity rather than direct phase measurements. This technique offers significant advantages, particularly its robustness against atmospheric turbulence and optical imperfections, which can plague traditional optical interferometry. In an active setup, a controlled light source (like a laser) is used to illuminate a target, and the intensity fluctuations of the scattered or reflected light are then measured by multiple detectors and correlated.
Active intensity interferometry (AII) holds significant potential in healthcare, particularly in biomedical imaging, due to its ability to achieve high-resolution imaging through scattering media like biological tissues. By leveraging the second-order coherence of light and active illumination with phase-independent laser beams, AII can overcome limitations of traditional imaging techniques in complex environments.
Below are key areas where AII could impact healthcare:
1. High-Resolution Imaging Through Scattering Media
Biological tissues, such as skin, muscle, or brain tissue, are highly scattering, which degrades image quality in conventional optical imaging (e.g., microscopy, OCT). AII’s insensitivity to phase distortions allows it to image through turbid media with diffraction-limited resolution.
Applications in Healthcare
Non-Invasive Diagnostics: Imaging structures like blood vessels, nerves, or tumours beneath the skin without invasive procedures.
Brain Imaging: Potential to image neural structures through the skull or scalp, aiding in neurological studies or monitoring conditions like traumatic brain injury.
Ophthalmology: Enhanced imaging of retinal structures through scattering ocular media for early detection of diseases like glaucoma or macular degeneration.
Advantage of AII > AII can achieve sub-millimetre resolution over long distances or through thick tissues, surpassing the limitations of scattering-induced blur in traditional methods.
2. Robustness to Environmental Noise
AII’s insensitivity to atmospheric or tissue-induced turbulence makes it suitable for in vivo imaging, where motion artifacts (e.g., breathing, blood flow) typically degrade image quality.
Applications in Healthcare
Real-Time Imaging: Monitoring dynamic processes like blood flow or tissue perfusion during surgery.
Wearable Devices: Potential for compact AII-based sensors for continuous monitoring of tissue health (e.g., oxygen saturation, wound healing).
Advantage of AII > Eliminates the need for complex stabilisation systems, simplifying hardware for clinical use.
3. Deep Tissue Imaging
By using infrared or near-infrared light, which penetrates deeper into tissues, AII can image structures beyond the reach of visible-light techniques. Active illumination with multiple laser beams mimics thermal light, enhancing signal strength for deeper penetration.
Applications in Healthcare
Cancer Detection: Imaging tumours or abnormal tissue growth deep within organs, potentially aiding early diagnosis.
Cardiology: Visualising coronary arteries or myocardial tissue non-invasively.
Musculoskeletal Imaging: Assessing bone or cartilage health through soft tissue layers.
Advantage of AII > Offers a non-ionising alternative to X-rays or CT scans, reducing patient radiation exposure.
4. Functional Imaging
AII can be combined with spectroscopic techniques to measure tissue properties (e.g., oxygenation, hemoglobin concentration) by analysing intensity correlations at specific wavelengths.
Applications in Healthcare
Metabolic Monitoring: Tracking tissue oxygenation or glucose levels in real-time for diabetes management or critical care.
Neuroscience: Mapping brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow or oxygenation, potentially complementing fMRI.
Advantage of AII > High sensitivity to subtle changes in tissue properties, enabling functional as well as structural imaging.
5. Miniaturisation and Point-of-Care Applications
AII’s simpler optical requirements (no phase alignment, electronic correlation) make it feasible to develop compact, cost-effective imaging devices for clinical settings.
Applications in Healthcare
Portable Diagnostics: Handheld AII devices for bedside or field use, such as detecting skin cancers or monitoring wound healing in remote areas.
Endoscopy: Integration into endoscopic systems for high-resolution imaging inside the body (e.g., gastrointestinal or pulmonary imaging).
Advantage of AII > Reduced need for bulky optics, enabling point-of-care deployment in resource-limited settings.
Challenges in Healthcare Implementation
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: Biological tissues produce low photon counts due to scattering and absorption, requiring advanced detectors or higher laser power (within safe limits).
Computational Demands: Image reconstruction from intensity correlations is computationally intensive, necessitating fast algorithms for real-time clinical use
Safety Concerns: Active illumination with lasers must comply with strict safety standards to avoid tissue damage, particularly in sensitive areas like the eyes or brain
Validation: Clinical adoption requires extensive validation to ensure AII’s reliability and accuracy compared to established methods like MRI or ultrasound.
Current Research and Future Outlook
While AII is still primarily experimental, recent studies (e.g., Liu et al., 2025) demonstrate its ability to achieve high-resolution imaging over long distances, suggesting scalability to biomedical applications. Research is ongoing to adapt AII for tissue imaging, with efforts focusing on:
Optimising laser wavelengths for deeper tissue penetration.
Developing faster correlation algorithms for real-time imaging.
Miniaturising hardware for portable medical devices.
In the future, AII could complement or replace existing modalities like optical coherence tomography (OCT) or confocal microscopy in specific applications, offering a non-invasive, high-resolution, and robust imaging solution for healthcare.
While still in its research and development phases for healthcare applications, the breakthroughs in long-baseline active intensity interferometry, particularly for imaging non-self-luminous targets, suggest a strong potential for its transition into clinical settings. As we move through 2025, expect to see continued research and initial explorations of Active Intensity Interferometry as a powerful new tool at the cutting edge of medical imaging and diagnostics.
Nelson Advisors > Healthcare Technology M&A
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