MAOT Brochure - Erlangen Graduate School in Advanced Optical ...

18
OPTICS
IN MEDICINE
Laser and optical technology in general play a crucial
role in diagnostics and therapy in modern medicine.
In order to understand the interaction between light
and biological tissue it is necessary to have a fundamental
understanding of both.
The Optics in Medicine topic will look from a macroscopic perspective
at the structure of the human organism and its organ
parts down to the level of tissue and cells. The eye is ideal subject
to study in this respect as here remarkably different types of
tissue are functionally linked in a very confined space. The eye itself
is a biological optical system that converts light into chemical
signals and then, finally, electrical signals. It is also extraordinary
well suited for optical diagnostics and therapy because light can
pass through the cornea and the lens deep into the eye.
An accompanying seminar will give students the opportunity to
use x-ray/CT/MR images, perform microscopy exercises and develop
skills in modern imaging systems, such as electron microscopes,
laser scanning microscopes and fluorescence microscopes.
Another focus will be on the use of optics in diagnostics.
The functional structure, changes and illnesses of the eye will be
discussed in connection with modern optical diagnostics.
Aside from the eye there are other interesting points of contact
between the fields of medicine and optical technologies. Fluorescence
spectroscopy, for instance, can be used as a non-invasive
diagnostic tool to detect cancer of the stomach.
Lectures will discuss in detail the possibilities and limits of the
use of lasers in therapy so as to enable students to work on the
specifications of lasers used for therapy in the future.
MAOT students will have the opportunity to learn the basics of
several laser systems used for therapy and to perform practical
experiments in a seminar.
Erlangen is an excellent place to study this topic. The region is
not only a centre of excellence in optical technologies and
photonics, but also the 'Medical Valley' of Germany. The internationally
renowned University Hospital is located at the heart of
the city and provides extensive modern buildings and infrastructure.
Siemens Medical Solutions, a global player in medical
engineering is also based in Erlangen. The city represents an
exciting and motivating environment in which to study and research
at the interface of medicine and technology.
www.aot.uni-erlangen.de
19