ABSTRACT

Terence A King and Brian C Wilson The remarkable properties of laser radiation gives the laser a rich diversity of applications in medicine

and surgery. Laser radiation can be closely controlled, focused and manipulated to give precise, specific and localized effects in tissues. When used with flexible optical fibres, convenient delivery of the radiation is possible and internal organs of the body may be treated. There are many available laser wavelengths which can be selected to match tissue absorption. The characteristics of radiation, such as power and energy density, can be varied over large values. Lasers are now used in almost all medical or surgical specialties for the treatment of many diseases. In addition to therapeutic applications, there has developed a wide range of applications in biomedical science, diagnostics, imaging and sensing.