ABSTRACT
Light can react with tissue in different ways and its response can yield information about the physiology and pathology of tissue. The light used to probe tissue does so in a nonintrusive manner; in contrast to therapeutic applications, very low levels of light are typically used. The use of fiber optics allows light to probe tissue in a minimally invasive manner. Because tissue response is virtually instantaneous, the results are obtained in real time, and data processing techniques and computers allow for automated detection of disease. These factors have resulted in a variety of applications that employ light and optical modalities for tissue diagnosis.
