Bioengineering: photonic technologies in medicine

Topics covered include:

• Photonic Technologies in Medicine
  To overview the concepts and applications of photonic materials and devices in medicine, focusing on diagnostics and optical treatment
• Lasers
  To overview the fundamental technologies and applications in laser optics (solid state, liquid state, gas, semiconductor).
• Optical Fibers
  To illustrate the current state-of-the-art fiber optic devices, providing the challenges and limitations in endoscopy applications.
• Spectroscopy
  To demonstrate the applications of absorption, reflection and fluorescence spectroscopy and their utilization in medicine
• Microscopy and Imaging
  To explore the approaches to collect optical information from a body fluid (blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluid) sample or biopsy tissue
• Photomedicine
  To explore low-level laser therapy (LLLT), photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) and provide an overview of the state-of-the-art technologies in disease diagnosis and treatment.
• Design Projects
  To develop a commercial biophotonic technology that will solve a global unmet problem in biotechnology or medicine.

On completion of this masterclass, participants will be able to:

• Overview the application of biophotonic technologies in diagnostics and treatment of patients
• Describe the recent advances in laser optics and their utilisation in disease detection and treatment
• Outline the basic knowledge about fiber optic technologies and waveguides in biophotonics and endoscopy
• Explore the fundamentals and applications of spectroscopy technologies in biotechnology and medicine
• Apply the knowledge and experience gained to conceptualize novel technologies in microscopy and imaging
• Design and develop photonic technologies for photomedicine applications in light therapy and diagnostic device development 

This masterclass is designed for UG or PG students studying in engineering, biology, chemistry, physics, biotechnology, computing or related disciplines with an interest in learning and applying photonic technologies to create innovative biomedical devices.

Pre-requisite:  Students are expected to have a basic knowledge in chemistry and biology.  For those who do not have basic knowledge of chemistry and biology, a pre-reading list will be provided before the class starts.