PhotoAcoustic imaging is an imaging modality that uses laser light and ultrasound detectors to image tissues. Photo = Light. Acoustic = Sound. The imaging uses the photoacoustic effect principle. The photoacoustic effect is not new in terms of discovery as it was reported by none other than Alexander Graham Bell (yes! Rings a bell doesn’t it?) as early as 1880. But, the unavailability of proper detectors and instruments at his time was an obstacle to expanding research in this field.
Radiotracers are chemical compounds that are used to diagnose or deliver therapy to specific organs and tissues. The radiotracer consists of a linking molecule, a binding molecule and a radioactive compound. Radiotracer is injected into the body and it binds to specific target cells in the body. The linking molecule binds the radioactive compound to the binding molecule, which then binds to specific cells in body.
The radiotracer decays by emitting ionizing radiation that damages nuclear DNA, thereby stopping division of cells (cancer as well as normal cells). Radiotracers are not something new. In fact, they have been around for 100 years !!
Conventional Radiation therapy techniques use X-rays (‘photons’) to treat cancer by focussing X-rays on cancer regions. Proton therapy is a technique to treat cancer by the use of ‘protons’. The usage of protons to treat cancer may be advantages in various ways.
Radiation therapy for cancer treatment causes unnecessary exposure to healthy cells also, posing health risks on the patient. We can use Proton therapy for the following reasons.
We may want to expose children and pregnant women to lower amount of radiation.
Applications are invited from suitably qualified and highly motivated students willing to pursue research in dept of Biomedical engineering at Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad in the below-mentioned research areas.
Aim of Course
The course should provide knowledge about the physical properties of light and its impact and interaction with biological tissue. Course Content
Optical properties of biological tissue. Light transport in tissue. Therapeutic window. Light transport models. Measurement of tissue optical properties. Optical coherence tomography, multi-photon excitation, flourescens, etc.
To download all the Video Lecture Notes, Topic wise click on the computer icon on Left hand side.
1
I
Introduction
Course Content
Why Use Optical Methods?
Why Should You Learn Biomedical Optics?
Fundamentals of Optics
Overview of Spectroscopy
Classical Description of Light
Light-Tissue Interaction
Introduction
Course Content
Why Use Optical Methods?
Why Should You Learn Biomedical Optics?
Fundamentals of Optics
Overview of Spectroscopy
Classical Description of Light
Light-Tissue Interaction
2
II
Basic Optics
What is Light
Short Wavelengths
Radiation Power
Radiation Energy
Radiation Intensity
Collection of Light
Integrating Spheres
Detector
III
Tissue Optical Properties
Optical Properties vs Optical Measurements
