Joint Imaging: Development of algorithms & software to diagnose and monitor Rheumatoid Arthritis with DOT

The Joint Imaging Project aims to establish DOT imaging as a viable tool for diagnosing and monitoring Rheumatoid Arthritis through scans of proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints. Completed milestones of the project include the development of a dedicated frequency-domain DOT imaging system for scanning PIP joints and the necessary reconstruction algorithms for recovering the optical properties of the internal physiology of the finger joint. The current focus of the project is the development and validation of computer aided diagnosis (CAD) software for enhancing the ability to diagnose RA from DOT images. Machine learning techniques, such as support vector machines, are used to analyze clinical data and to discover biomarkers that correlate with the presence of RA.