ABSTRACT

Laser-based techniques have proven to be very valuable tools for many medical applications. Various measurement techniques, such as the laser Doppler flow monitoring of cutaneous blood flow, low coherence techniques for the imaging of retinal structures, and time-resolved or phase-resolved photon migration techniques for early breast cancer detection, have been developed together with therapeutics modalities ranging from laser scalpels for surgery and photothermolysis of various vascular lesions to photodynamic treatment of malignant tumors. This entry gives a presentation of the physical properties of light together with a discussion of the basic principles for light propagation in biological tissues. Examples of some therapeutic techniques are presented.