Laser Applications in Medicine and Biology: Volume 5

ISBN-13: 9780306437533 / Angielski / Twarda / 1991 / 371 str.

Myron Wolbarsht; M. L. Wolbarsht

Opis

The use oflasers has entered almost every facet of medicine and biology. Therefore, it is to be expected that the reviews contained in this vol urne will reflect this diversity. As dinical acceptance has grown with various diagnostic and therapeutic applications, so has the need for a more thorough understanding of the theoretical background for each. This is especially true where a correlation is to be made between the theoretical background and the experimental data. It is only in this way that we can attain the optimal form of any therapy. The basic coupling ofenergy into biological tissue and its conversion into heat is characterized by many parameters. One ofthe most important is pulse duration. The review by Bimgruber in Chapter 6 shows how our knowledge ofthis parameter has been extended.The need for a more basic understanding of the interaction of electromagnetic energy with various kinds of materials has led to investigations on the nature of plasmas their stability and instability, and how theyexist. Docchio reviews the factors that cause them to occur at a specific locale and then to move away from that site. The availabilityofmany types ofoptical fibers has extended our ability to deliver laser energy from various types oflasers into almost anyselected location. This is particularly useful in medicine, where less invasive ap proaches to surgery and diagnosis are always helpful. However, as Rol and his colleagues explain, the power-handling capabilities ofoptical fibers limit many applications, particularly for short-duration, high-peak-power laser pulses."

Spis treści

1 Stimulation of Metabolic Processes by Low-Intensity Visible Light: A Scientific Basis for Biostimulation.- 2 Present Status of Research on Hematoporphyrin Derivatives and Their Photophysical Properties.- 3 Nd:YAG Laser Ophthalmic Microsurgery: Time- and Space-Resolved Laser-Induced Breakdown in Liquids and Ocular Media.- 4 High-Power Laser Transmission through Optical Fibers: Applications to Ophthalmology.- 5 Can Physical Modeling Lead to an Optimal Laser Treatment Strategy for Port-Wine Stains?.- 6 Choroidal Circulation and Heat Convection at the Fundus of the Eye: Implications for Laser Coagulation and the Stabilization of Retinal Temperature.