Handbook of Biomedical Optics

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5.1 Introduction

Recent technological advancements in the photonics industry

have spurred real progress toward the development of clinical

functional imaging and surgical and therapeutic systems. e

development of the optical methods in modern medicine in

theareas of diagnostics, surgery, and therapy has stimulated the

investigation of optical properties of human tissues, since the

ecacy of optical probing of the tissues depends on the photon

propagation and uence rate distribution within irradiated tis-

sues. Examples of diagnostic use are the following: the moni-

toring of blood oxygenation and tissue metabolism, detection

of stomach ...