Evaluating tissue heating from near-infrared lasers.

With the rise of biophotonics in medical applications such as photodynamic therapy (PDT), laser induced fluorescence (LIF) and gas in scattering media absorption spectroscopy (GASMAS) the tissue heating properties of lasers in the tissue optical window is an increasingly interesting topic. These wavelengths in the range between 700 and 1100 nm are particularly useful as the absorption for general tissue compounds significantly drops yielding in-depth photonic access to living organisms. In this project the resulting heating of tissues from the illumination by these lasers is evaluated. The outcomes of the work will be important in order to find safe limits in power and intensity to avoid potential damage to analysed tissues.