Laser methods in biomedicine

Facts  
Duration: 1 semester (6 weeks)
Period: Spring (2) Semester
Credits: 4 ECTS
Contact Hours: 36
Hours: 144

Main Objectives

  • to form vision of the designation, principles, types and regimes of lasers, exposure to the basic directions of medical-biological use of lasers. 

Learning Outcomes

In the process of learning the module master’s students have to:

  • know: general patterns of light and biological system interaction, and interaction with biological objects: thenature of the physiological changes in biological objects and their relation to energy, spectral, temporal and spatial characteristics of the radiation;
  • be able to: apply this knowledge to select appropriate methods of biomedical object research and assess the significance of the influence of various physics parameters of coherent radiation on the objects under study;
  • master: have the methods and means of characteristic measuring and the interpretation of results of experiments in the use of lasers in biomedicine; medical diagnostics.

Professor

Evgenyi Telminov, Alexey Telminov

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Course annotation

Taught by: assoc. prof. Evgenyi Telminov, assoc. prof. Alexey Telminov

Outline of the module

The goal of the module: to form vision of the designation, principles, types and regimes of lasers, exposure to the basic directions of medical-biological use of lasers. Development of research skills in the application of lasers in biomedicine. The course introduces the basics of the interaction of laser radiation with matter, the physiological effects of laser radiation, and teaches navigate in a variety of methods of laser diagnostics used in biomedicine. The most promising and widely used methods of diagnosis are being analyzed. Particular attention is paid to the physics bases of diagnostic laser applications in biology and medicine. The methods based on the analysis of light scattering and fluorescence are studied thoroughly. The absorption, calorimetric, interferometric and holographic diagnosis methods are also discussed. Laser diagnostic equipment is given a description. As the result of the course students obtain fundamental and applied knowledge of the experimental study principles and of the parameter measurement in optical radiation, as well as of the result interpretation. Studying the module requires a basic knowledge of physics, mathematics, biology, and information technologies.

The module covers the following topics:

  • The basis of laser physics.
  • The fundamentals of interaction of laser radiation with matter.
  • The physics principles of nephelometry.
  • The Physics base of the methods using light scattering characteristics.
  • Interferometric and holographic diagnosis methods.
  • Absorption and calorimetric diagnosis methods.
  • Laser fluorescence analysis

Learning objectives

In the process of learning the module master’s students have to:

  • know: general patterns of light and biological system interaction, and interaction with biological objects: thenature of the physiological changes in biological objects and their relation to energy, spectral, temporal and spatial characteristics of the radiation;
  • be able to: apply this knowledge to select appropriate methods of biomedical object research and assess the significance of the influence of various physics parameters of coherent radiation on the objects under study;
  • master: have the methods and means of characteristic measuring and the interpretation of results of experiments in the use of lasers in biomedicine; medical diagnostics.

Content of the module

A wide use of biomedical research in diagnostic methods of coherent radiation sources has resulted in the necessity of obtaining the basic knowledge of interaction between laser radiation, biological systems and objects, and the knowledge of physics bases of laser activity. Assessing the significance of the influence of various physics parameters of coherent radiation on the objects under study.

The current course is aimed to give learners the basic and applied knowledge of the experimental study principles and of the parameter measurement in optical radiation, as well as of the result interpretation.

The course itself represents the overview of modern methods applied in biomedicine to diagnose various objects and biological systems.

Overview of tasks and lectures

The module is planned for the second semester. It involves 9 lectures (2 hours each), 2 seminars (2 hours each), 2 laboratory works (4 hours each)  planned for the module units and 6 hours for writing project and abstractive works.

Topics of lectures:

1.   The definition of laser, the difference from the other optical radiation, design and function. Types of lasers: gas, solid, colorant lasers and OLED. The fundamentals of interaction between laser radiation and matter, the absorption, elastic scattering, fluorescence and TFR.

2.   The main directions of medical-biological use of lasers. Diagnosing parameters of biological particles and tissues by studying the angular and polarization characteristics of the elastically scattered radiation (laser nephelometry). Physics principles

3.  Laser spectrometry of quasi-elastic scattering. The physics basis of the method and the possibility of using laser light scattering to study the dynamic characteristics of biological microorganisms: the diffusion coefficient, the speed of directed transport and migration movement, the parameters of intramolecular and intracellular motion. Basic types of spectrometers used. Diagnosis of biological objects on the basis of the diffusion coefficient measurement.

4.   Translational diffusion. Diagnosis of biological objects base on the registration of directed motion. Laser Doppler spectroscopy of living cells and intracellular mobility diagnosis.

5.    Interferometric and holographic diagnosis methods. Laser retinometry. The fluorescein angiography method. Laser diagnostics in ophthalmology. Diagnostic capabilities of holography for studying fundus. 

6.    Absorption and calorimetric diagnosis methods. Absorption-transmission analysis with the use of tunable lasers. Absorption spectroscopy of high-speed processes.  Classification and the basis of calorimetric methods of diagnosis. The application  area of calorimetric methods.

7.    The laser spectroscopy of Raman scattering. The application of the Raman scattering spectroscopy in biochemical research. The study of proteins. The Raman microscopy of biological structures and living cells. The application of Raman spectroscopy in ophthalmology. The use of spontaneous Raman scattering for the diagnosis of blood sugar.

8.   The laser fluorescence analysis. Laser fluorescence microscopy and microspectrofluorometry. Examples of application of laser fluorescence diagnostics in medicine.

9.   Destructive diagnostic methods: methods of laser-ionization spectroscopy. Methods of laser micro-spectral analysis.

Topics of seminars:

1.   Properties of coherent radiation.

2.   The interaction of laser radiation and matter.

3.   Physics basis of diagnostic methods in biomedicine.

4.   Modern trends in medical and biological use of lasers in biomedicine.

Topics of laboratory works:

1.   Determination of the breakdown threshold of optically transparent organic media.
2. Study of energy and spectral properties of organic laser active media for photodynamic therapy.

Approximate topics of project and abstract works:

1. The possibilities of using laser light scattering to study the dynamic characteristics of biological microorganisms.

2. Classification and the basis of calorimetric methods of diagnosis.

3. Laser fluorescence analysis.

4. Methods of laser-ionization spectroscopy.

5. Laser Raman spectroscopy.

6. The laser spectrometry of quasi-elastic scattering.

7. Laser diagnostics in ophthalmology.

8. Interferometric and holographic methods of diagnosis.

9. Diagnosis of biological objects on the basis of the diffusion coefficient measurement.

10. Examples of application of laser fluorescence diagnostics in medicine.

Position within the programme

This is a unique course involving general patterns of interaction between laser radiation, biological systems and objects, the study of the nature of physiological changes in biological objects in such interactions and their relation to energy, spectral, temporal and spatial characteristics of lasers. The obtained knowledge and skills are relevant for assessing the significance of the influence of various physics parameters of coherent radiation on the objects under study.

Teaching format

Structure

The course is planned for the second semester. The course involves 4 credits / 144 hours, including 36 class hours. There are 6 weeks (9 lectures, 2 seminars, 2 laboratory works and project works totaling 6 hours) for the course units. Lectures and seminars are conducted in multimedia classroom, equipped with technical means for video conferencing, as well as presentation and interactive equipment. Laboratory works are organized in a physical laboratory.

Grading

The form of final certification is exam. The accomplishment of final project is a necessary requirement for the exam.

Main literature