Detection and Treatment Systems based on Optics and Photonics in New Age Healthcare Management

Abstract

EditorialThe world is becoming smaller in the means of communication and information but we are yet short to make basic medical needs deliverable universally. There have been many breakthroughs and advancements in the field of medical and healthcare but they fall scant in stature, in terms of taking care of major healthcare problems across the globe. If we look closely, major healthcare problems can be classified as primary and secondary. Accurate diagnosis, treatment and therapies for severe diseases and disorders which are prolonged threat to life form the primary healthcare problems. Secondary health care problems include conditions like trauma, or accidents, or mishaps in daily life. The latter healthcare conditions demand for quick and immediate medical attention for stabilizing the victims and then initiate recovery. Human population is advancing in terms of medical technologies with respect to diagnostic and treatment modalities to tackle serious healthcare issues, but most of the latest medical technologies are available in established centres which are formed by a high economic investment. The high cost makes the technology unavailable to a majority of the population residing in developing countries. In cases of road trauma several factors need to be considered within a small time frame to provide immediate medical supervision, also medical procedures to be provided simultaneously in no time. The loss in time in such cases eventually leads to loss of life or loss of functionality of organs. Excessive losses of blood or internal injuries are most common but are involved with most time consumption for proper attention and diagnosis leading to irreversible lethality to important organs like brain, heart, liver or kidneys. Thus researchers are continuously developing diagnostic and therapeutic systems which are affordable in resource poor settings. Optical technologies provide most suitable approach for deployment in resource poor settings. Optical technologies are continuously evolving and advancing our healthcare systems. Proper utilization and conditioning of light spectrum and exploring optical properties of novel materials have shown promising results for development of medical techniques. Modification, assembly and combination of optical equipment's can be easily integrated to form dedicated instruments for health anomalies. As a requirement to increase deliverability, solutions need to rely on new components which travel and transfer information faster. Use of light for above purpose can solve all the above mentioned perils and also provide noninvasive and harmless method of diagnosis and treatment. Diagnostic and scanning techniques like PET, X-ray, CT etc. have already employed optical techniques for in vivo imaging and surgery.