Lasers have a wide and growing range of applications in medicine. Lasers for medical applications summarises the wealth of recent research on the principles, technologies and application of lasers in diagnostics, therapy and surgery. Part one gives an overview of the use of lasers in medicine, key principles of lasers and radiation interactions with tissue. The respective types of the laser (solid state, gas, dye, and semiconductor) are reviewed in part two. Part 3 describes diagnostic laser methods, for example optical coherence tomography, spectroscopy, optical biopsy, and time-resolved fluorescence polarization spectroscopy. Part four concentrates on the therapeutic applications of laser radiation in particular branches of medicine.

Key Features: describes the interaction of laser light with tissue; reviews every type of laser used in medicine: solid state, gas, dye and semiconductor; describes the use of lasers for diagnostics.

Contents: Introduction: The history of lasers in medicine. Part 1 Laser-tissue interaction: Laser characteristics; The response of tissue to laser light; Optical fibers for medical applications. Part 2 Types of laser used in medicine: Solid-state lasers for medical applications; Gas lasers for medical applications; Liquid and solid-state tunable organic dye lasers for medical applications; Semiconductor lasers for medical applications. Part 3 Lasers in diagnostics: Optical sources for optical coherence tomography (OCT); Laser spectroscopy in medical diagnostics; Optical biopsy for cancer detection; Time-resolved fluorescence polarization spectroscopy and optical imaging of smart receptor-targeted contrast agents in tissues for cancer detection. Part 4 Laser therapy and surgery: Laser therapy in ophthalmology; Lasers in dermatology; Lasers in cardiology; Lasers in urology; Lasers in gynecology; Lasers in otorhinolaryngology (ORL) and head and neck surgery; Lasers in neurology; Lasers in dentistry; Laser in orthopaedic surgery; Cancer laser therapy using gold nanoparticles; Hybrid laser technology for biomaterials; Laser safety: Regulations, standards, and guidelines for practice; Photodynamic therapy for human malignancies with superficial and interstitial illumination.

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