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Biomedical
Photonics: A Revolution in Medicine
Over
a century ago, the discovery of X-ray has revolutionized medical diagnostics.
X-rays have open an essential window to the detection of a wide variety
of diseases ranging from tuberculosis to breast cancer.
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Today, the field of biomedical photonics promises to
open the horizons to a new generation of rapid, non-invasive and cost-effective
biomedical technologies that will revolutionize health care for the
new millennium.
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We are witnessing the dawn of a “quantum leap” in biomedical
technologies with the advent of photonics, the science of
light and matters.
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Advanced photonics systems allow diagnosis of a large spectrum of diseases
at the speed of light.
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Optical biopsy methods for cancer diagnosis
without biopsy are changing the course of medicine in diagnosing cancer
because no tissue has to be removed, and the diagnosis is made almost
instantly.
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Light sources at near infrared wavelengths can penetrate deep into tissues
and allow non-invasive probing of brain function.
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Ultra-short pulses of light at the femtosecond (10-15 s)
level and optical coherence systems can produce minimally invasive
optical tomography without the need of potentially
harmful ionizing radiation.
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Focused laser beams can be used as “optical tweezers”
designed to trap, manipulate and diagnose brain cells for neurological
therapy.
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Biosensors and Biochips using antibody and
gene probes attached to CMOS-based microchips can rapidly detect specific
biomarkers for early detection of cancer and genetic diseases.
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Nanosensors, which integrate fiberoptics and
bioreceptors, will allow the monitoring of the health of
a single human cell.
   
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