Laser medicine

Medicine. Lasers have become commonplace in medicine, from skin-resurfacing and vision-correction procedures to the use of carbon-dioxide lasers in general surgery. 

The existing composite layer deposition technique when nanoparticles get adsorbed in layer structure from their suspension that doesn t contain polyelectrolyte is optimal for the fabrication of capsules sensitive to laser radiation. Obviously to apply laser-activated capsules in medicine laser light wavelength should lie in so called "transparency windows" of biological tissues, where adsorption is minimal. The window which is near to visible band begins at 700 nm and ends at 1000. To decrease power needed to destroy capsules it is advisable to use plasmon-resonant nanoparticles instead of IR-sensitive dyes. ... 

The existence of isotope shifts and of tunable lasers with narrow Hnewidth leads to the possibHity of separating isotopes with laser radiation (113,114). This can be of importance, because isotopicaHy selected materials are used for many purposes in research, medicine, and industry. In order to separate isotopes, one needs a molecule that contains the desired element and has an isotope shift in its absorption spectmm, plus a laser that can be tuned to the absorption of one of the isotopic constituents. Several means for separating isotopes are avaHable. The selected species may be ionized by absorption of several photons and removed by appHcation of an electric field, or photodissociated and removed by chemical means. 

New impetus was given to photomedicine by development of lasers that are compatible with the clinical environment. These include HeNe, Ar ion, mby, and tunable dye lasers operating in the continuous wave (cw) mode. Prior to the advent of lasers in medicine, only the treatment of newborn jaundice, and the appHcation of long wavelength uv irradiation in conjunction with adininistration (or topical appHcation) of psoralen class sensitizers to treatment of skin diseases (86), principally psoriasis, were clinically important phototherapies. 

Figure 4.9 HPTLC/SERRS analysis of acridine orange. Laser excitation line, 488 nm laser power, 15 mW. After Koglin [492]. Reproduced by permission of the Research Institute for Medicinal Plants, Budakalasz, Hungary...

Silver-colored, ductile metal that is attacked slowly by air and water. The element exhibits interesting magnetic properties. Found in television tubes. Laser material such as YAG (yttrium-aluminum garnet) doped with holmium (as well as chromium and thulium) can be applied in medicine, especially in sensitive eye operations. 

Prof. Dr. Raimund Marmhold Department of Laser Medicine Molecular Drug Research Group Heinrich-Heine-U niversitat Universitatsstr. 1 40225 Diisseldorf Germany... 

Combat medicine poses special problems. Chemical science and technology can aid in the rapid detection and treatment of injuries from chemical and biological weapons and other new weapons such as lasers. We need to develop blood substitutes with a long shelf life, and improved biocompatible materials for dealing with wounds. For the Navy, there are special needs such as analytical systems that can sample the seawater to detect and identify other vessels. We need good ways to detect mines, both at sea and on land. Land mines present a continued threat to civilians after hostilities have ended, and chemical techniques are needed to detect these explosive devices. 

Schmidt, M. 2008. Structure based kinetics by time-resolved crystallography. In Ultrashort laser pulses in biology and medicine. M. Braun, P. Gilch, W. Zinth, Eds. New York Springer Heidelberg. 

The technology of Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) was introduced into clinical medicine more than three decades ago. This form of treatment has great appeal due to its novelty, ease in use, relatively cost-efficient and low morbidity profile [5], LLLT has been shown to improve remarkably the process of wound healing in humans [5-8] and animal models [9-11], In vitro studies demonstrated that LLLT has a stimulating effect on cell mitosis [12] and proliferation and migration of fibroblasts [13], keratinocytes [14, 15] and endothelial cells [16], LLLT enhances NO secretion [17] and cytokine production [18, 19] and may lead to increased dermal angiogenesis [20],... 

Woodbum, K.W. et al. (1996) Phototherapy of cancer and atheromatous plaque with texaphyrins, Journal of clinical laser medicine surgery 14, 343-8. 

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