Prof. A.G.J.M. van Leeuwen MSc PhD

All Publications

Ton van Leeuwen (born in 1963 in Amsterdam) graduated cum laude in Experimental Physics of the University of Amsterdam in 1989. His Master of Science research was performed at the Department of Atomic Physics (Zeeman laboratory, laser spectroscopy). He completed his PhD research in the Experimental Cardiology Laboratory in the Utrecht Medical Centre in 1993 on the use of pulsed lasers for angioplasty of coronary arteries by defending (cum laude) his thesis entitled "Bubble formation during pulsed mid-infrared and excimer laser ablation: Origin and implications for laser angioplasty" (promotors: Prof. dr. C. Borst, Lab. for Experimental Cardiology, University of Utrecht and Prof. dr. ir. M.J.C. van Gemert, AMC Laser Center, University of Amsterdam).
Thereafter he was involved in various research projects at the Interuniversity Cardiology Institute of the Netherlands (ICIN) of the KNAW: He was principal investigator of the Netherlands Heart Foundation (NHS) project "Local inhibition of Cell Proliferation in the Arterial Wall by Psoralen and Local Photodynamic Therapy: a Possible Strategy to Prevent Restenosis" and ad interim project leader of ICIN project 18 "The Arterial Wall".

In 1997 and 1998, supported by a grant from the ICIN, he investigated the potential cardiovascular use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) at Case Western Reverse University and Cleveland University Hospitals in Cleveland, USA.

Ton was appointed as a staff member of the AMC Laser Centre in 1998 at which he continued his research on OCT. He was the principal investigator of various projects: NWO–Platform Alternatives for Animal Experiments ("Perfused Porcine Coronary Arteries as a Testing Laboratory of the Intervention Cardiology"), NHS projects ("Reduction of arterial shrinkage by UVB and PUVB therapy during balloon angioplasty: effect on collagen and elastin organization, formation and degradation" and "Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) Imaging in Cardiology: Application of a Novel, High Resolution, Optical Imaging Technique to Visualize Unstable Plaque and Blood Flow Shear Rate Distribution); NWO Equipment grant ("Optical Coherence Tomography: high resolution non-invasive diagnostic imaging in medicine"); FOM-projects "Optical Coherence Tomography: Novel High Resolution Non-Invasive Diagnostic Imaging In Medicine" and ICIN project 32 ("Intravascular diagnosis of atherosclerosis and restenosis by means of IntraVascular UltraSound, Optical Coherence Tomography and Raman spectroscopy") and EU 5th Call project MEDPHOT ("Optical Methods for Medical Diagnosis and Monitoring of Diseases"); Senter BTS project OCTIC ("Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging in Cardiology")

He was appointed as Professor in the Clinical Application of Biomedical Optics at the University of Twente in 2001 (part time, 0.2). From 2003 - 2008, he headed the Biomedical Optics Group at the Science faculty and the Biomedical Technology Institute at the UT (0.5 appointment). At the UT, he started and headed the spearhead project NIMTIK ("Non-Invasive Molecular Tumor Imaging and Killing") and was co-PI of STW projects ("Fast and depth sensitive laser Doppler imaging of tissue perfusion" and "Towards non-invasive acousto-optic, quantitative monitoring of chemical species in human blood or tissue") and IOP - Photonic Devices projects ("PRESSMIT Plasmonic nanoparticle based molecular imaging and therapy of cancers: in vitro to preclinical studies" and "HYMPACT Hybrid Mammography using Photacoustic Computed Tomography"). He developed three courses: “Medical Technology” for Biomedical Technology and TBK bachelor students, “Non-invasive Diagnostics” for Biomedical Engineering master students, and  “Microscopic Imaging Techniques” for Technical Medicine master students.

He was appointed as Professor in Biomedical Photonics (in 2007) and head of the Biomedical Engineering and Physics department (in 2008) in the Faculty of Medicine at the Academic Medical Centre of the University of Amsterdam (AMC-UvA). He developed the courses "Introduction to Biomedical Physics" and the worshop "Blood" for BSc Physics students. In  2009, he was appointed as full professor in Biomedical Physics (AMC-UvA).  Projects were started, e.g. IOP Photonic Devices ("IR SWEPT: IR swept source for high resolution functional imaging in medicine") and Smartmix MEMPHIS ("Merging Electronics and Micro & nano-PHotonics in Integrated Systems"), IOP Photonic Devices project "low-cost handheld optical coherence tomography device", ZON-MW project "Sense, zoom and specify" (within institute Quantivision), STW project "Sensor for body hydration monitoring" (within the research program Sport). Current project include STW projects "OBAMA: optical bladder anatomy mapping and functional analysis", "PROSPECT: spectroscopic biopsy of the prostate", which both are part of the STW Perspective program iMIT,TTW-HTSM project "integrated OCT for medical imaging at 1300nm" and EUROSTARS project OCTIC. New projects on the development of novel detection methods for microvessel characterisation started recently (within STW perspectief programs MEMPHIS and CANCER-ID).

He initiated the Center of Research Excellence within the Innovative Medical Devices Initiative of the Netherlands Science Organization, resulting in the Institute Quantivison, of which he currently is the technical scientific leader. He was coordinator for the Physics of Life and Health master track within the Amsterdam Master of Physics. He is fellow of the AIMB and the SPIE.

 

Prof. MSc PhD A.G.J.M. van Leeuwen (Biomedical photonics for functional and molecular imaging)

The research programme is structured along the following research lines:

• Hyperspectral imaging (Prof dr ing Aalders): based on his VIDI project (Depth-resolved Optical Spectroscopic Imaging (DOSI) in tissue), non invasive measurement of bilirubin (in cooperation with the Neonatology department) and the age of bruises (in order to better detect child abuse) have been demonstrated. Forensic applications of hyperspectral imaging is utilised for the detection and age determination of blood stains (together with e.g. the Netherlands Forensic Institute and Forensic Technological Solutions BV) and on finger print analysis (Dr A van Dam). 
• Functional imaging (Dr Ir Dirk Faber and dr DM de Bruin), with clinical spin-off towards Urology, Pulmonology, Oncology and Ophthalmology: based on anaysis of the optical signals, differences in the optical properties (absorption and scattering) of the tissue are related to the presencense of superficial tumors. Based on speckle analysis, blood flow is characterised.
• The integration and combination of different imaging technologies for molecular and functional imaging will be explored e.g to guide biopsys (in cooperation with gastro-enterology and urology), to characteris micro-vesicles (Dr FAW Coumans and dr E van der Pol) in biological fluids (blood, urine, etc, together with experimental biochemistry, Dr R Nieuwland and Prof A Sturk) and to initiate new developments by starting research projects for minimally invasie optical catheters and using integrated optics  for small and dedicated monitoring and imaging devices in the clinic. 

 

Faculty
Prof. BEng PhD M.C.G. Aalders
MEng PhD D.J. Faber
Prof. MEng PhD H.J.C.M. Sterenborg

Postdocs
BSc MSc PhD D.M. de Bruin
PhD A.J. Riordan
PhD A. van Dam
MEng PhD E. van der Pol

Others
BEng P.R. Bloemen
Prof. MEng PhD M.J.C. van Gemert

• N. Achetib
• B.A. Bettin
• N. Buntsma
• E.L. Gool
• R.J.M. Hoveling
• Y. Hu
• M.W. Kuiper
• E.I.M.L. Liem
• L.B. Neubrand
• L.S. Wilk

• AMC
• Endourological Society
• Life Sciences Health TKI
• NWO (Vrijgesteld)
• SURFnet bv
• Technische Universiteit Eindhoven