Developing system for delivery of optical radiation in medicobiological researches

Abstract

Methods of optical diagnostics and methods of photodynamic therapy are actively used in medico-biological researches. The system for delivery of optical radiation is one of the key methods in these researches. Usually these systems use flexible optical fibers with diameters from 200 to 1000 micron. Two types of systems for delivery are subdivided, first for diagnostic researches, second for therapeutic procedures. Existing diagnostic catheters, which have most widely applied in medicine, have bifurcated with diameter of the tip equal 1.8 mm. These devices, which are called fiber-optical catheters, satisfy the majority endoscopes researches. However, till now the problem of optical-diagnostics inside tissue is not soled. Especially it is important at diagnostics of a mammary gland, livers, thyroid glands tumor, tumor of a brain and some other studies connected with punctures. In these cases, it is necessary that diameter of fiber-optical catheters be less than one millimeter. This work is devoted to the development of these catheters. Also in clinical procedures such as photodynamic therapy (PDT) and interstitial laser photocoagulation (ILP), cylindrical light diffusing tips are rapidly becoming a popular device for the administration of the desired light dose for the illumination of hollow organs, such as bronchus, trachea and oesophagus. This work is devoted to the development of these catheters.