Optical design of a variable angle irradiation system for skin cancer laser phototherapy

Abstract

Photothermal therapy is a developing therapeutic technic mainly regarding the usage of nanoparticles considering their proneness to assemble around malignant tissue and induce their destruction by converting electromagnetic radiation into thermal radiation. In order to optimize this process, controlling the area of incidence in a way that it can fit the tumour and prevent damage of healthy cells is of great importance. This study was conducted by designing an optical system based on zoom systems for manipulating an initial input beam and adjust it to the most common skin cancer sizes. Two solutions are proposed, accomplishing spot sizes at 150 mm from the last lens within the approximate range of 2 mm to 76 mm, with beam divergences lower than 3 mrad.

Biological Thermal Performance of Organic and Inorganic Aerogels as Patches for Photothermal Therapy

“…This drawback could be surpassed by delimiting and blocking the radiation beam. Typical light delimitation systems could be implemented, but they include complex optical systems [ 36 , 37 ], and thermal effects outside the area of interest still have to be considered. For this intent, light and thermal insulators might be promising materials, and aerogels are known for their excellent thermal insulating features.…”