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Thomas E. Milner, Ph.D. Associate Professor

Thomas E. Milner, Ph.D

Associate Professor

• Curriculum Vitae
• Department of Biomedical Engineering
  Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology
  BME 1.108F
  The University of Texas at Austin
  1 University Station, C0800
  Austin, Texas 78712-1084
  Phone: (512) 471-1332
  
• Lab Website
• Office Hours: MW 3-4:30

Research Focus

Optical-based therapeutics and diagnostic imaging, biomedical fiber sensors, infrared imaging radiometry.

Research Interests

Dr. Milner's research is directed toward the development of novel optical tomographic imaging modalities and laser surgical procedures for diagnosis and treatment of disease in humans. Pulsed photo thermal tomography uses an infrared focal plane array camera to detect an increase in radiant emission from the tissue surface immediately following laser irradiation. Implementation of a numerical algorithm allows reconstruction of the spatial distribution of temperature increase in subsurface chromophores such as blood vessels in vascular lesions. Optical coherence tomography uses a Michelson interferometer in combination with a single-mode broad-band light source to detect subsurface static and moving constituents in tissue such as red blood cells. In collaboration with dermatologists and industrial affiliates, his group is investigating application of these technologies in the clinic. Dr. Milner encourages students that are considering an advanced degree in Biomedical Engineering and interested in optics, signal detection, image processing, and mathematical/computer modeling to make contact and discuss these and other projects in more detail.

Selected Publications

• Telenkov, SA, Dave DP, Sethuraman, S, Akkin, T, and Milner TE , "Differential phase optical coherence probe for depth-resolved detection of photothermal response in tissue", Phys. Med. Bio., 49:111-119 (2004).
• Choi B, Milner TE, Kim J, Goodman JN, Vargas G, Aguilar G, and Nelson JS, "Use of optical coherence tomography to monitor biological tissue freezing during cryosurgery," J. Bio. Opt., 9:282-286 (2004).
• Larin KV, Akkin T, Motamedi M, Esenaliev RO, Milner TE, "Phase-Sensitive Optical Low-Coherence Reflectometry for Detection of Analyte Concentration," Applied Optics 43(17):3408-14 (2004).
• Akkin, T, Dave, DP, Milner, TE, Rylander, HG. "Detection of neural activity using phase-sensitive optical low-coherence reflectometry,"Optics Express 12(11) May (2004).
• Rylander, C.G., Dave, DP, Akkin, T, Milner, TE, Diller, KR, Welch, AJ, "Quantitative phase-contrast imaging of cells with phase-sensitive optical coherence microscopy," Optics Letters, 29(13):1509-11 (2004).