Biophotonics_Concepts_to_Applications

Table 1.3 Uses of biophotonics tools and techniques in selected medical specialties

Medical specialty Applications of biophotonics methodologies

Photobiomodulation: uses low irradiance

levels to aid in pain relief and tissue healing

Photonic stimulation of tissue to alleviate

acute and chronic pain, treat sprains and

strains from sports injuries, speed up wound

healing, treat nerve and brain injuries, and

promote tissue and bone healing

Cardiology: deals with diseases and

abnormalities of the heart

Use of lasers and opticalfibers for imaging

atherosclerotic plaques, diagnosing heart

functions, monitoring laser surgery of atrial

fibrillation, reducing angina or cardiac pain

Dentistry: deals with tooth repair and the

prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of tooth

and gum disorders

Detection of caries and cracks in teeth, soft

and hard tissue ablation, endodontic therapy,

tooth restoration treatments, and detection

and treatment of diseases of the teeth, gums,

and mouth structures

Dermatology: deals with the skin and its

disorders and diseases

Treatment of skin atrophy, skin thickening,

varicose veins, vascular lesions, unwanted

hair, age spots, surgical and acne scars, and

pigmented lesions

Gastroenterology: focuses on the digestive

system and its disorders and diseases

Use of endoscopes for imaging the lower and

upper gastrointestinal tract to detect

abnormalities; use of lasers to destroy

esophageal and gastric cancers;

photocoagulation of hemorrhaging peptic

ulcers

Oncology: deals with the study and treatment

of tumors

Early and accurate non-invasive in vivo

cancer detection and diagnosis through a

variety of optical methods for tissue

diagnosis, treatment of cancer through

photodynamic therapy, identification of

cancer site boundaries

Ophthalmology: deals with eye structures,

functions, and diseases

Retinal surgery (treatment of cataracts,

glaucoma, and age-related macular

degeneracy), refractive corneal surgery,

imaging of retinal nervefiber layers, and

sensing changes in eye anatomy and

physiology

Neurophotonics/Optogenetics: deals with

the structure or function of the nervous

system and brain

The neuroscience discipline of optogenetics

uses light to activate or inhibit signaling

among neurons to study the link between

neural network operation and behavioral or

sensory functions to treat neuropsychiatric

diseases

Vascular medicineorangiology: deals with

preventing, diagnosing, and treating vascular

and blood vessel related diseases

Use of lasers and opticalfibers for imaging

atherosclerotic plaques, diagnosing

microcirculation, treating varicose veins, and

treating diseases of the circulatory and

lymphatic systems, i.e., arteries, veins and

lymphatic vases

1.2 Diverse Applications 7