Year: 2006
Type: dissertation
Abstract: The interaction of light with tissue and its use for medical purposes has been under \ninvestigation for centuries. Since the early nineteen sixties, the development of novel \noptical technology and advances in laser design/technology allowed a wide range of \ninnovative applications in many fields of medicine. For the majority of light applications \nin medicine the distribution of light within tissue is of fundamental importance. The light \ndistribution is determined by the optical properties of the tissue; scattering and absorption. \nThis thesis focuses on two applications of light in medicine, photodynamic therapy (PDT) \nand optical diagnostics. For each application the effect of differences in and changes of \ntissue optical properties are investigated. The distribution of light within tissue is of vital \nimportance in PDT and is strongly dependent on the in vivo optical properties. In vivo \ndifferences and variations in optical properties are also critically important for optical \ndiagnostics. The hypothesis presented is that the underlying cause of the current \nlimitations in clinical PDT and low sensitivity in optical diagnosis are due to the \nheterogeneous and dynamic nature of tissue optical properties. This thesis tests this \nhypothesis by investigating the spatial distribution, inter patient differences, and temporal \nbehaviour of in vivo optical properties by means of in vivo light measurement.
Author: Veen, Robert
Language: English
Subfield: Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7006872187