Optics in medicine

Abstract

Optics has, since ancient times, being used as aid for the examination of human patients and in some therapeutic treatments. Many of the optic medical instruments in use today were developed in the nineteenth century and, with the advent of optical fibers and laser light sources in the mid twentieth century, a new generation of medical devices, instruments, and techniques have been developed that have helped modernize medicine and perform task unimaginable only a few decades ago. This chapter illustrates-through several optical instrument and application examples-the uses, benefits, and future prospects that optics brings as an enabling technology to the medicine and the overall healthcare industry.