20.3 Biophotonics and optofluidics

Biophotonics and optofluidics are revolutionizing medicine and biology. These fields combine light-based tech with tiny fluid systems to study and manipulate living things at the cellular level. It's like having superpowers to see and control the tiniest parts of life!

From fluorescence microscopy to lab-on-a-chip devices, these tools are changing how we diagnose diseases and develop new treatments. They're making medical tests faster, cheaper, and more accurate. It's exciting stuff that's pushing the boundaries of what's possible in healthcare and research.

Biophotonic Techniques

Fluorescence Microscopy and Photodynamic Therapy

Top images from around the web for Fluorescence Microscopy and Photodynamic Therapy

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  Fine-tuning the electronic structure of heavy-atom-free BODIPY photosensitizers for fluorescence ... View original

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  Enhanced photodynamic therapy and fluorescence imaging using gold nanorods for porphyrin ... View original

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  Enhanced photodynamic therapy and fluorescence imaging using gold nanorods for porphyrin ... View original

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  Fine-tuning the electronic structure of heavy-atom-free BODIPY photosensitizers for fluorescence ... View original

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  Enhanced photodynamic therapy and fluorescence imaging using gold nanorods for porphyrin ... View original

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Top images from around the web for Fluorescence Microscopy and Photodynamic Therapy

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  Fine-tuning the electronic structure of heavy-atom-free BODIPY photosensitizers for fluorescence ... View original

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  Enhanced photodynamic therapy and fluorescence imaging using gold nanorods for porphyrin ... View original

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  Enhanced photodynamic therapy and fluorescence imaging using gold nanorods for porphyrin ... View original

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  Fine-tuning the electronic structure of heavy-atom-free BODIPY photosensitizers for fluorescence ... View original

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• 

  Enhanced photodynamic therapy and fluorescence imaging using gold nanorods for porphyrin ... View original

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• Fluorescence microscopy utilizes fluorescent dyes or proteins to visualize specific structures or molecules within cells or tissues
  • Involves exciting fluorophores with a specific wavelength of light and detecting the emitted fluorescence at a longer wavelength
  • Enables high-contrast imaging of biological samples with high specificity and sensitivity (green fluorescent protein, GFP)
• Photodynamic therapy employs light-activated photosensitizers to generate reactive oxygen species that can selectively destroy targeted cells or tissues
  • Photosensitizers accumulate in the target area and are activated by light of a specific wavelength
  • Generated reactive oxygen species cause localized cell death or tissue damage (treatment of certain cancers or skin conditions)

Raman Spectroscopy and Optical Coherence Tomography

• Raman spectroscopy is a non-invasive technique that uses inelastic scattering of light to probe the molecular composition and structure of a sample
  • Incident light interacts with molecular vibrations, resulting in a shift in the scattered light's wavelength
  • Provides a unique spectral fingerprint of the sample, allowing for identification of specific molecules or chemical bonds (detection of cancer biomarkers)
• Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a high-resolution imaging technique that uses low-coherence light to generate cross-sectional images of biological tissues
  • Based on the principle of low-coherence interferometry, measuring the echo time delay and intensity of backscattered light
  • Enables non-invasive, depth-resolved imaging of tissue microstructure with micrometer-scale resolution (ophthalmology, dermatology)

Optofluidic Devices

Biosensors and Lab-on-a-Chip Systems

• Biosensors are analytical devices that combine a biological recognition element with a physicochemical transducer to detect and quantify specific analytes
  • Optofluidic biosensors integrate optical detection methods with microfluidic platforms for enhanced sensitivity and specificity
  • Utilize various optical phenomena, such as surface plasmon resonance, fluorescence, or absorbance, to detect biomolecular interactions (detection of pathogens, biomarkers, or environmental pollutants)
• Lab-on-a-chip systems miniaturize and integrate multiple laboratory functions on a single microfluidic device
  • Combine sample handling, processing, and analysis on a compact platform, reducing sample and reagent consumption
  • Incorporate optofluidic elements for optical manipulation, sensing, or imaging of biological samples (point-of-care diagnostics, drug screening)

Microfluidics and Optical Tweezers

• Microfluidics involves the manipulation and control of fluids at the microscale level
  • Utilizes microfabricated channels, valves, and pumps to precisely control fluid flow and enable high-throughput, parallel processing
  • Optofluidic devices leverage the integration of microfluidics with optical components for enhanced functionality (droplet generation, cell sorting)
• Optical tweezers are a technique that uses focused laser beams to trap and manipulate microscopic objects, such as cells or particles
  • Rely on the optical gradient force generated by the interaction of the laser beam with the object
  • Enable precise control and measurement of forces at the piconewton scale (single-molecule studies, cell manipulation)