"Optical Guidance of Therapy"
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Abstract: Light and optics have been used for a variety of applications; in biomedicine, the applications have been related to diagnosis, treatment and sensing. This talk will focus on the use of light and optical spectroscopy for the real-time guidance of therapy. Research from the application of combined fluorescence and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy for intraoperative guidance of brain tumor resection and liver radio-frequency ablation will be presented. Other applications include guided placement of deep brain stimulators and breast conservation therapy. This presents a novel thrust in the use of optical methods as a feedback tool for clinicians, thus improving patient care.