Short Courses

SC260 Biomedical Diagnostic Applications of Communications Technologies

Sunday, February 24, 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Brett E. Bouma; Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, USA

Level: Advanced Beginner (basic understanding of topic is necessary to follow course material)

Course Description
Biophotonics is rapidly emerging as a powerful, versatile and interdisciplinary new field at the interface between photonics and the biological sciences and clinical medicine. Biology and medicine readily adopt optical techniques because light provides unique capabilities and fresh insights into how molecules, cells and tissue act in their natural states. Light also provides selective methods for effecting, manipulating and ablating biological molecules and cells with minimal perturbation to surrounding tissues. It was not until recently, however, that a critical mass of technologies, primarily from the optical telecommunications sector, enabled the widespread application of optical principles and methods in biomedicine. A main focus of this course is to provide an introduction to biophotonics for optical engineers and scientists with the hope of fostering a greater awareness of the need for advanced photonics in biology and medicine. Several current topics in biophotonics will be reviewed as examples of how photonic technologies are transforming basic biological research and clinical medicine. Each topic will emphasize the relevant technological requirements and will identify capabilities and challenges that require further photonic innovation and adaptation. Specific topics will include: photochemistry and photobiology, biomedical imaging, optical diagnostics, and photodynamic therapy.

Benefits and Learning Objectives
This course should enable you to:

• Identify the primary mechanisms by which light interacts with biological tissue.
• Justify the role of photonics in advancing basic biological research and clinical medicine.
• List the primary unique capabilities that light and photonics offer for interrogating and manipulating tissue.
• Explain the fundamental principles of recently developed sensing and imaging technologies in biophotonics.
• Compare the capabilities of photonics relative to current sensing and diagnostic technologies.
• Describe the pathways by which new biological and clinical technologies are developed, validated and applied.

Intended Audience
The course is primarily directed to optical scientists and engineers with knowledge of advanced photonics technologies and instrumentation and anyone wishing to learn about the recent advances in the use of light and optics in biomedical research.

Instructor Biography
Brett E. Bouma is an associate professor in Harvard Medical School and an affiliated faculty of the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology. He currently teaches a course on biomedical optics for Harvard and MIT graduate students and conducts research in the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital. The focus of his work is on the development and application of minimally invasive imaging and diagnostic technologies for clinical medicine.