Publications

Peer-reviewed publications

Kadama-Makanga P, Semeere A, Laker-Oketta M, Mubiru M, Lukande R, Huchko M, Freeman E, Kulkarni N, Martin J, Kang DK, Nakalembe M, Usability of a smartphone-compatible, confocal micro-endoscope for cervical cancer screening in resource-limited settings, BMC Women’s Health 2024; 24: 483

Kim Y, Zhao J, Liang B, Sugimura M, Marcelino K, Romero R, Nessaee A, Ocaya C, Lim K, Roe D, Khan MJ, Yang EJ, Kang DK, Automated analysis of scattering-based light sheet microscopy images of anal squamous intraepithelial lesions, Biomed. Opt. Express 2024;15(9):5547-5559

Zhao J, Kim Y, Sugimura M, Marcelino K, Romero R, Liang B, Khan M, Yang E, Kang DK, Compact scattering-based light sheet microscopy probe using a custom miniature objective lens, J. Opt. Microsyst. 2024;4(3):034501.

Sugimura M, Marcelino K, Romero R, Zhao J, Kim Y, Nessaee A, Kim K, Stratton D, Curiel-Lewandrowski C, Garfinkel J, Rubinstein G, Kang DK, High-speed reflectance confocal microscopy using speckle modulation, Biomed. Opt. Express. 2024;15(8):4877-4890.

Liang B, Zhao J, Kim Y, Barry-Holson KQ, Bingham DB, Charville GW, Darragh TM, Folkins AK, Howitt BE, Kong CS, Longacre TA, McHenry AJ, Toland AMS, Zhang X, Lim K, Khan MJ, Kang DK, Yang EJ, Scattering-Based Light-Sheet Microscopy Imaging of Human Papillomavirus–Associated Squamous Lesions of the Anal Canal: A Proof-of-Principle Study, Modern Pathology. 2024;37(6):100493

Romero R, Zhao J, Stratton D, Marcelino K, Sugimura M, Nichols A, Gonzalez S, Jain M, Curiel C, Kang DK, Handheld cross-polarized microscope for imaging individual pigmented cells in human skin in vivo, Journal of Microscopy. 2023;292:47-55. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmi.13225

[Ryu J, Kang DK]*, Kim J, Chung A, Grant CN, Ryan E, Barrios A, Osman H, Tearney GJ, High-speed reflectance confocal microscopy of human skin at 1251-1342 nm, Lasers in Surgery and Medicine. 2023. Published online. (*Equal contribution) http://doi.org/10.1002/lsm.23652

Zhao J, Kulkarni N, Dobo E, Khan MJ, Yang E, Kang DK. Investigation of different wavelengths for scattering-based light sheet microscopy, Biomedical Optics Express. 2022; 13(7): 3882-92. https://doi.org/10.1364/BOE.459823

Kulkarni N, Masciola A, Nishant A, Kim KJ, Choi HJ, Gmitro A, Freman EE, Semeere A, Nakalembe M, Kang DK, Low-cost, chromatic confocal endomicroscope for cellular imaging in vivo, Biomedical Optics Express. 2021; 12(9): 5629-43. https://doi.org/10.1364/BOE.434892

Tshikudi DM, Simandoux O, Kang DK, Andrawes MN, Van Cott E, Yelin D, Nadkarni SK, Imaging the dynamics and microstructure of fibrin clot polymerization in cardiac surgical patients using spectrally encoded confocal microscopy, American Journal of Hematology. 2021; 96(8) 968-978. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajh.26217


Zhao J, Jain M, Harris UG, Kose K, Curiel-Lewandrowski C, Kang DK, Deep learning-based denoising in high-speed portable reflectance confocal microscopy, Lasers in Surgery and Medicine. Article in press. https://doi.org/10.1002/lsm.23410.


Curiel-Lewandrowski C, Stratton DN, Gong C, Kang, DK, Preliminary imaging of skin lesions with near-infrared, portable confocal microscopy, Journal of American Academy of Dermatology. Article in press.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2020.12.040.


Nguyen CD, Gong C, Kulkarni N, Yang E, Kang DK, Scattering-based light sheet microscopy for rapid cellular imaging of fresh tissue, Lasers in Surgery and Medicine. Article in press. https://doi.org/10.1002/lsm.23361.

Devon ME, Oyesiku L, Semeere A, Kang DK, Freeman EE. Novel Diagnostics for Kaposi Sarcoma and Other Skin Diseases in Resource-Limited Settings, Dermatologic Clinics. 2021; 39(1): 83-90. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0733863520300693?via%3Dihub

Freeman EE, Semeere A, Laker-Oketta M, Namaganda P, Osman H, Lukande R, McMahon D, Seth D, Oyesiku L, Tearney GJ, Gonzalez S, Rajadhyaksha M, Anderson RR, Martin J, Kang DK, Feasibility of portable confocal microscopy for point-of-care diagnosis of Kaposi’s sarcoma in a low-resource setting, Journal of American Academy of Dermatology. 2021; 84(2):499-502. PMID: 32376425. https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(20)30769-6/fulltext

Gong C, Stratton DN, Curiel-Lewandrowski CN, Kang DK, Speckle-free, near-infrared portable confocal microscope, Applied Optics, 2020; 59(22): G41-46. https://www.osapublishing.org/ao/abstract.cfm?uri=ao-59-22-G41

Zhu W, Pirovano G, O’Neal PK, Gong C, Kulkarni N, Nguyen CD, Brand C, Reiner T, Kang DK, Smartphone epifluorescence microscopy for cellular imaging of fresh tissue in low-resource settings, Biomedical Optics Express, 2020; 11(1): 89-98. https://doi.org/10.1364/BOE.11.000089

Gong C, Kulkarni N, Zhu W, Nguyen CD, Curiel-Lewandrowski C, Kang DK, Low-cost near infrared reflectance confocal microscope, Biomedical Optics Express, 2019; 10(7): 3497-3505. https://doi.org/10.1364/BOE.10.003497

Zeidan A, Do D, Kang DK, Ikuta M, Ryu J, Beatty M, Piao Z, Tearney GJ, High-resolution, wide-field, forward-viewing spectrally encoded endoscope, Lasers in Surgery and Medicine. 2019; 51:808-814. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/lsm.23102

[Kang DK, Do D]*, Ryu J, Grant CN, Giddings SL, Rosenberg M, Hesterberg PE, Yuan Q, Garber JJ, Katz AJ, Tearney GJ, A miniaturized, tethered, spectrally-encoded confocal endomicroscopy capsule, Lasers in Surgery and Medicine. 2019; 51:452-458. (*Equal contribution)

Ikuta M, Kang DK, Do D, Zeidan A, Tearney GJ, Spectrally encoded color imaging with a single light beam, Optics Letters. 2018; 43: 2229-2232.

Freeman EE, Semeere A, Osman H, Peterson G, Rajadhyaksha M, Gonzalez S, Martin JN, Anderson RR, Tearney GJ, Kang DK, Smartphone confocal microscopy for imaging cellular structures in human skin in vivo.Biomedical Optics Express. 2018; 9: 1906-1915. https://doi.org/10.1364/BOE.9.001906 Cover paper.

[Tabatabaei N, Kang DK]*, Kim M, Wu T, Grant CN, Rosenbergu M, Nishioka NS, Hesterberg PE, Yuan Q, Katz AJ, Tearney GJ, Clinical Translation of Tethered Confocal Microscopy Capsule for Unsedated Diagnosis of Eosinophilic Esophagitis. Scientific Reports. Scientific Reports. 2018; 8: 2631. (* Equal contribution) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-20668-8

Kang DK, Schlachter SC, Carruth RW, Kim M, Wu T, Tabatabaei N, Soomro AR, Grant CN, Rosenberg M, Nishioka NS, Tearney GJ. Comprehensive confocal endomicroscopy of Barrett’s esophagus in vivo. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine. 2017; 49(3): 233-9.

Brachtel EF, Johnson NB, Huck AE, Rice-Stitt TL, Smith BL, Tearney GJ, Kang DK, Spectrally encoded confocal microscopy for detecting residual breast cancers. Laboratory Investigation. 2016; 96(4):459-67.

Kang DK, Schlachter SC, Carruth RW, Kim M, Wu T, Tabatabaei N, Vacas-Jacques P, Shishkov M, Woods K, Sauk JS, Leung J, Nishioka NS, Tearney GJ. Comprehensive confocal microscopy of the esophagus in vivo. Endoscopy International Open. 2014; 02: E135-40.

Kim M, Kang DK, Wu T, Tabatabaei N, Carruth RW, Martinez RV, Whitesides GM, Yoshikazu N, Tearney GJ. Miniature objective lens with variable focus for confocal endomicroscopy. Biomed Opt Express. 2014: 5(12): 4350-61.

Kang DK, Martinez MV, Whitesides GM, Tearney GJ, Miniature grating for spectrally-encoded endoscopy, Lab on a Chip. 2013; 13(9): 1810-1816.

[Schlachter SC, Kang DK]*, Gora MJ, Vacas-Jacques P, Wu T, Carruth RW, Bouma BE, Woods K, Tearney GJ. Spectrally encoded confocal microscopy of esophageal tissues at 100 kHz line rate. Biomed Opt Express. 2013;4(9):1636-45. (* Equal contribution)

Kang DK, Carruth RW, Kim M, Schlachter SC, Shishkov M, Woods K, Tabatabaei N, Wu T, Tearney GJ. Endoscopic probe optics for spectrally encoded confocal microscopy. Biomed Opt Express. 2013;4(10):1925-36. (This paper was featured in January 2014 issue of Biophotonics Magazine.)

Tabatabaei N, Kang DK, Wu T, Kim M, Carruth RW, Leung J, Sauk JS, Shreffler, W, Yuan Q, Katz A, Nishiokak NS, Tearney GJ. Tethered confocal endo-microscopy capsule for diagnosis and monitoring of eosinophilic esophagitis. Biomed Opt Express. 2013; 5(1):197-207.

Unglert C, Namati E, Warger W, Liu L, Yoo HK, Kang DK, Bouma BE, Tearney GJ. Evaluation of Optical Reflectance Techniques for Imaging of the Alveolar Structure. Journal of Biomedical Optics. 2012; 17:071303.

Kang DK, Yoo HK, Jillella PA, Bouma BE, Tearney GJ, Comprehensive volumetric confocal microscopy with adaptive focusing, Biomed Opt Express. 2011; 2:1412-1422.

Yoo HK, Kang DK, Katz AJ, Lauwers GY, Nishioka NS, Yagi Y, Tanpowpong P, Namati J, Bouma BE, Tearney GJ, Diagnosis of eosinophilic esophagitis by reflectance confocal microscopy, Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. 2011; 74:992-1000.

Kang DK, Suter MJ, Boudoux C, Yoo HK, Yachimski P, Puricelli WP, Nishioka NS, Mino-Kenudson M, Lauwers GY, Bouma BE, Tearney GJ. Comprehensive imaging of gastroesophageal biopsy samples by spectrally encoded confocal microscopy. Gastrointest Endosc. 2010;71:35-43.

Kang DK, Suter MJ, Boudoux C, Yachimski PS, Puricelli WP, Nishioka NS, Mino-Kenudson M, Lauwers GY, Bouma BE, Tearney GJ. Co-registered spectrally-encoded confocal microscopy and optical frequency domain imaging system. J Microsc. 2010; 239:87-91

Kang DK, Yelin D, Bouma BE, Tearney GJ. Spectrally-encoded color imaging. Opt Express. 2009; 17:15239-47. (This paper was covered in Research Highlights from the Nov. 2009 issue of Nature Photonics.)

Kim JM, Kang DK. Gweon DG, Spectrally encoded slit confocal microscopy. Opt Lett. 2006;31:1687-9

Yoo HK, Lee SW, Kang DK, Gweon DG, Lee SW, Kim KS. Confocal scanning microscopy: a High-resolution nondestructive surface profiler. International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing. 2006;7:3-7

Kang DK, Gweon DG. Image of a straight edge in confocal self-interference microscopy. Opt Lett. 2005;30:1650-2.

Kang DK, Gweon DG. Two-dimensional imaging theory of confocal self-interference microscopy. J Opt Soc Am A. 2005;22:2737-45.

Kang DK, Yoo HK, Lee SW, Gweon DG. Lateral resolution enhancement in confocal self-interference microscopy with commercial calcite plate. J Opt Soc Kor. 2005;9:32-5

Lee SW, Kang DK, Yoo HK, Kim TJ, Gweon DG, Lee SW, Kim KS. Measurement of sub-micrometer features based on the topographic contrast using reflection confocal microscopy. J Opt Soc Kor. 2005;9:26-31

Kang DK, Seo JW, Gweon DG. Improvement of detected intensity in confocal microscopy by using reflecting optical system. Rev Sci Instrum. 2004;75:550-2.

Yoo HK, Kang DK, Lee SW, Gweon DG. Error Analysis and Alignment Tolerancing for Confocal Scanning Microscope using Monte Carlo Method. Journal of the Korea Society of Precision Engineering (KSPE). 2004;21:92-9.

Kang DK, Gweon DG. Enhancement of lateral resolution in confocal self-interference microscopy. Opt Lett. 2003;28:2470-2.

Book chapters

  1. Zhu W, Gong C, Kulkarni N, Nguyen CD, Kang DK. Smartphone based microscopes. In: Jeong-Yeol Yoon, editor. Smartphone based medical diagnostics. Elsevier. 2019.
  2. Do D, Tearney GJ, Kang DK. Miniature confocal microscopy devices for imaging skin. In: González Salvador, editor. Reflectance confocal microscopy of cutaneous tumors. CRC Press; 2017.
  3. Woods K., Kang DK, Neumann H., Vieth M. and Coron E. (2014) Confocal Endomicroscopy. In: Linda M. McManus, Richard N. Mitchell, editors. Pathobiology of Human Disease. San Diego: Elsevier; 2014. p. 3890-3911.

Invited presentations

  1. Reducing size and cost, 2nd World Congress on Confocal Microscopy (virtual), 2021
  2. Smartphone-based epifluorescence microscopy for fresh tissue imaging, European Conference on Biomedical Optics (ECBO), Munich, Germany, 2019
  3. Low-cost, smartphone confocal microscope, Photonics West 2019, San Francisco, CA, 2019
  4. Comprehensive and low-cost in vivo confocal microscopy, Vanderbilt University, Day of Light symposium, Nashville, TN, 2018
  5. Spectrally encoded confocal microscopy for comprehensive and low-cost in vivo cellular imaging, OSA Biophotonics Congress, Hollywood, FL, 2018
  6. In vivo Cellular Imaging with Spectrally Encoded Confocal Microscopy, Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO), San Jose, CA, 2017
  7. Clinical experience with spectrally encoded confocal microscopy for imaging human esophagus in vivo, Photonics West 2017, San Francisco, CA, 2017
  8. Low-cost smartphone confocal microscopy, International Confocal Working group meeting, Washington, DC, 2016
  9. Spectrally encoded imaging, Frontiers in Optics 2011, Annual meeting of Optical Society of America, San Jose, CA, Oct 17, 2011