Hinnerk Schulz-Hildebrandt

@article{Hilge:25,

title = {Label-free visualization and quantitative analysis of Far UV-C skin safety with dynamic optical coherence tomography with subcellular resolution},

author = {Felix Hilge and Michael Wang-Evers and Lara Buhl and Heather Downs and Maron Dolling and Lukas Pohl and Reginald Birngruber and Hinnerk Schulz-Hildebrandt and Gereon H\"{u}ttmann and Dieter Manstein},

url = {https://opg.optica.org/boe/abstract.cfm?URI=boe-16-9-3682},

doi = {10.1364/BOE.569995},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-09-01},

urldate = {2025-09-01},

journal = {Biomed. Opt. Express},

volume = {16},

number = {9},

pages = {3682\textendash3701},

publisher = {Optica Publishing Group},

abstract = {The recent COVID-19 pandemic sparked interest in interventional public health measures like ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) of occupied spaces with the development of Far UV-C (200\textendash230\ nm) emitting sources promising similar antimicrobial properties as conventional (254 nm) disinfecting lamps without adverse effects on human skin. When investigating the impact of different UV irradiation parameters, the visualization of cellular damage, like apoptosis and formation of photoproducts, currently requires immunohistochemical tissue processing and is of an invasive nature. Dynamic-microscopic optical coherence tomography (dmOCT) is a non-invasive technique that generates label-free images based on the dynamic scattering properties of cells. In this study, we expose an in-vitro human skin model to either UV-A/B or Far UV-C to demonstrate the ability of dmOCT to visualize cell death, followed by UV-induced photodamage, and perform immunohistochemical analysis. Our results clearly show a change in dynamic contrast within the viable epidermis and changes in the morphology of keratinocyte nuclei after UV-A/B exposure with 250 mJ/cm2, which were observable in the histology as well. In contrast, exposure to 2000 mJ/cm2 of Far UV-C did not have an effect on keratinocytes within the epidermis in either the dmOCT imaging or the immunohistochemistry experiment. In addition to demonstrating Far UV-C skin safety, these findings highlight the potential of dmOCT to assess tissue damage and viability non-invasively.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Schulz-Hildebrandt:25,

title = {Phase-sensitive dynamic micro-optical coherence tomography for high-speed intracellular motion imaging},

author = {Hinnerk Schulz-Hildebrandt and Joseph A. Gardecki and Tiffany Miller and Maria Avila-Wallace and Erica Villareyna-Lopez and Guillermo Tearney},

url = {https://opg.optica.org/ol/abstract.cfm?URI=ol-50-15-4734},

doi = {10.1364/OL.563024},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-08-01},

urldate = {2025-08-01},

journal = {Opt. Lett.},

volume = {50},

number = {15},

pages = {4734\textendash4737},

publisher = {Optica Publishing Group},

abstract = {Dynamic optical coherence tomography with micrometer resolution (DµOCT) offers enhanced contrast information by evaluating time-dependent signal fluctuations in images of living tissue. DµOCT\'s use has been limited to imaging excised fresh tissue specimens or 3D cell cultures due to the long observation times required, typically ranging from 1.35 to 25 seconds. To reduce the time needed to obtain DµOCT images, we developed a phase-based algorithm that analyzes intracellular motion by measuring phase changes between adjacent B-scans. This approach significantly reduces imaging time to as low as 40.5 ms while providing a quantitative measure of intracellular motion.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{schulz2025optical,

title = {Optical coherence tomography needle probe for real-time visualization of temperature-induced phase changes within subcutaneous fatty tissue},

author = {Hinnerk Schulz-Hildebrandt and Michael Wang-Evers and Naja Meyer-Schell and Daniel Karasik and Malte J Casper and Tim Eixmann and Felix Hilge and Reginald Birngruber and Dieter Manstein and Gereon H\"{u}ttmann},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-01-01},

urldate = {2025-01-01},

journal = {Journal of Biomedical Optics},

volume = {30},

number = {3},

pages = {035002\textendash035002},

publisher = {Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{schulz17dynamicb,

title = {Dynamic micro-optical coherence tomography enables structural and metabolic imaging of the mammalian cochlea},

author = {Hinnerk Schulz-Hildebrandt and Svetolik Spasic and Fang Hou and Kuan-Chung Ting and Shelley Batts and Guillermo Tearney and Konstantina M Stankovic},

doi = {doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1436837},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-10-09},

journal = {Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience},

volume = {17},

pages = {1436837},

publisher = {Frontiers},

abstract = {Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is caused by damage to the mechanosensory

hair cells and auditory neurons of the cochlea. The development of imaging tools

that can directly visualize or provide functional information about a patient’s

cochlear cells is critical to identify the pathobiological defect and determine the

cells’ receptiveness to emerging SNHL treatments. However, the cochlea’s small

size, embedded location within dense bone, and sensitivity to perturbation have

historically precluded high-resolution clinical imaging. Previously, we developed

micro-optical coherence tomography (μOCT) as a platform for otologic imaging

in animal models and human cochleae. Here we report on advancing μOCT

technology to obtain simultaneously acquired and co-localized images of cell

viability/metabolic activity through dynamic μOCT (DμOCT) imaging of intracellular

motion. DμOCT obtains cross-sectional images of ATP-dependent movement of

intracellular organelles and cytoskeletal polymerization by acquiring sequential

μOCT images and computing intensity fluctuation frequency metrics on a pixelwise

basis. Using a customized benchtop DμOCT system, we demonstrate the

detailed resolution of anatomical and metabolic features of cells within the organ

of Corti, via an apical cochleostomy, in freshly-excised adult mouse cochleae.

Further, we show that DμOCT is capable of capturing rapid changes in cochlear cell

metabolism following an ototoxic insult to induce cell death and actin stabilization.

Notably, as few as 6 frames can be used to reconstruct cochlear DμOCT images

with sufficient detail to discern individual cells and their metabolic state. Taken

together, these results motivate future development of a DμOCT imaging probe

for cellular and metabolic diagnosis of SNHL in humans.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{singh2024virtual,

title = {Virtual Hall sensor triggered multi-MHz endoscopic OCT imaging for stable real-time visualization},

author = {Awanish Pratap Singh and Madita G\"{o}b and Martin Ahrens and Tim Eixmann and Berenice Schulte and Hinnerk Schulz-Hildebrandt and Gereon H\"{u}ttmann and Mark Ellrichmann and Robert Huber and Maik Rahlves},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Optics Express},

volume = {32},

number = {4},

pages = {5809\textendash5825},

publisher = {Optica Publishing Group},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{harris2024reduced,

title = {Reduced sialylation of airway mucin impairs mucus transport by altering the biophysical properties of mucin},

author = {Elex S Harris and Hannah J McIntire and Marina Mazur and Hinnerk Schulz-Hildebrandt and Hui Min Leung and Guillermo J Tearney and Stefanie Krick and Steven M Rowe and Jarrod W Barnes},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Scientific Reports},

volume = {14},

number = {1},

pages = {16568},

publisher = {Nature Publishing Group UK London},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{dolling2024algorithm,

title = {Algorithm and software for field distortion correction in a commercial SD-OCT for corneal curvature assessment},

author = {Maron Dolling and Lara Buhl and Reginald Birngruber and Gereon H\"{u}ttmann and Hinnerk Schulz-Hildebrandt},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Applied Optics},

volume = {63},

number = {10},

pages = {2694\textendash2703},

publisher = {Optica Publishing Group},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Kohlfaerber:22,

title = {Dynamic microscopic optical coherence tomography to visualize the morphological and functional micro-anatomy of the airways},

author = {Tabea Kohlfaerber and Mario Pieper and Michael M\"{u}nter and Cornelia Holzhausen and Martin Ahrens and Christian Idel and Karl-Ludwig Bruchhage and Anke Leichtle and Peter K\"{o}nig and Gereon H\"{u}ttmann and Hinnerk Schulz-Hildebrandt},

url = {http://opg.optica.org/boe/abstract.cfm?URI=boe-13-6-3211},

doi = {10.1364/BOE.456104},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-06-01},

urldate = {2022-06-01},

journal = {Biomed. Opt. Express},

volume = {13},

number = {6},

pages = {3211--3223},

publisher = {OSA},

abstract = {In the imaging of airway tissue, optical coherence tomography (OCT) provides cross-sectional images of tissue structures, shows cilia movement and mucus secretion, but does not provide sufficient contrast to differentiate individual cells. By using fast sequences of microscopic resolution OCT (mOCT) images, OCT can use small signal fluctuations to overcome lack in contrast and speckle noise. In this way, OCT visualizes airway morphology on a cellular level and allows the tracking of the dynamic behavior of immune cells, as well as mucus transport and secretion. Here, we demonstrate that mOCT, by using temporal tissue fluctuation as contrast (dynamic mOCT), provides the possibility to study physiological and pathological tissue processes in\ vivo.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}