Light Makes an Impact on the Lives and Healthcare of Scots
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Light Makes an Impact on the Lives and Healthcare of Scots Carol Trager-Cowan Early detection of breast cancer; noninvasive measurement of blood glucose; wide-angle, high-resolution imaging of the retina; early detection of tooth decay; novel “sticking plasters” for the treatment of skin cancer; and production of positron beams for positron emission tomography are but a few of the medicinal applications of lasers and light-emitting diodes recently developed or under development in Scotland. Scientists and engineers in Scotland’s burgeoning “biophotonics” industry are exploiting the highest power lasers in the world and the newest organic light-emitting diodes to meet the needs of society. The Oxford English Dictionary defines photonics as “the branch of technology that deals with the applications of the particle properties of light”; recently, “photonics” has become a general term used to describe the study and application of light. The term “biophotonics” is used to describe technologies where light is applied to biological material. The term “biophotonics” has yet to make it into the Oxford English Dictionary; however, this new subject is having a major impact on the lives of Scots. Developments in biophotonics in Scotland are leading to new, more effective detection and treatment of cancer, diabetes, and eye disease than available before; they are helping to save sight and lives. One of the researchers who has made a tremendous impact on the Scottish biophotonics industry is Douglas Anderson. Anderson developed a patient-friendly method of obtaining a wide-field image of the eye in a fast single measurement, after his five-year-old son Leif lost the sight in one eye because a retinal detachment was detected too late, despite regular eye examinations with conventional imaging instrumentation. Conventional imaging methods require the dilation of the eye with eye drops followed by the acquisition of multiple images—an uncomfortable procedure, particularly for a small child. Anderson founded Optos in 1992 and in 1999 the Panoramic200 Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope (P200) received FDA 510k clearance, so that it could be sold in the United States, and full CE marking, which allows sales in the European market. The P200 captures a detailed digital image of up to 200 degrees, or approximately 80% of the eye, in under a second. Conventional imaging techniques acquire images of only ~5% of the eye. The ability to image such a large angular area allows
A physician and her patient use the Optos instrument which captures a digital image of ~80% of the eye, enabling early detection of disease.
the early diagnosis of eye diseases such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration and diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and certain cancers. Optos was floated on the London Stock Exchange on February 15, 2006. It has installed over 2500 instruments worldwide with revenues of around $70 million. In 2007, Optos received the Queen’s Award for Innovation and the Scotland Plc Award for Innovation. While
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