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Even though man is now very efficient at making artificial light, the sun is
still the major source of light in the world. The sun is both beneficial and
hazardous to our health. The light is a particular form of the
electromagnetic radiation (EMR).
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Light has some interesting properties, many of which are used in
medicine:
1. It consists of bundle of photons. The speed of light changes when it goes from
material into another. The ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to its speed in
a given material is called the index of refraction. If a light beam meets a
new material at an angle other than perpendicular, it bends, or is refracted.
Scientists have observed that light energy can behave like a wave as
it moves through space, or it can behave like a discrete particle with a
discrete amount of energy (quantum) that can be absorbed and emitted. A
beam of light is modelled as a stream of photons, each carrying a well-
defined energy that is dependent upon the wavelength of the light. The
energy of a given photon can be calculated by:
Where E is in joules
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λ = Wavelength of the light in meters
For a quantum of green light (500 nm) the energy can be calculated as:
Light is reflected to some extent from all surfaces. There are two types
of reflection. Diffuse reflection occurs when rough surfaces scatter the light in
many directions. Specular reflection is more useful types of reflection; it is
obtained from very smooth shiny surfaces such as mirrors where the light is
reflected at an angle that is equal to the angle at which it strikes the surface.
Mirrors are used in many medical instruments.
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striking a surface is called irradiance and the intensity of a light source is its
radiance.
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from regions of the body that cannot be examined with rigid endoscopes,
such as the small intestine and much of the large intestine. Some flexible
endoscopes are over a meter in length. The image obtained with a flexible
endoscope is not as good as that obtained with a rigid endoscope, but often
the only alternative to a flexible endoscopic examination is exploratory
surgery. Flexible endoscopes usually have an opening or channel that
permits the physician to take samples of the tissues (biopsies) for later
microscopic examination.
There have been few breakthroughs in science that have had as great
an impact as the invention of the microscope by Leeuwenhoek (1670). The use of
the microscope in the pathology laboratory is as common as the use of the
thermometer in the clinic.
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If you put a thin slice of tissue under a microscope you will not see much
because most cells are transparent to all wavelengths of visible light-red blood cells
are an exception. In order to distinguish different cells it is usually necessary to stain
them with a chemical that strongly absorbs certain visible wavelengths.
is also suitable for amplitude objects. Here, for illumination the secondary
maxima of the Bessel function are used for illumination. The effect is that
the image appears as a type of negative of the corresponding bright field
image.
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Phase contrast microscopy
Fluorescence microscopy
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less than 290 nm. UVA: also known as long wave UV, is non-ionizing
and produce fluorescence in many substances. UVB: or middle wave UV
is also non ionizing, it produces the most skin erythema. UVC: short
wave UV, is ionizing and germicidal. Both UVA & UVB reach the earth
from the sun; however, UVC is filtered out by the ozone layer.
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vitamin D, rickets may result of inadequate exposure to UV, inadequate
intake of vitamins or poor kidney function. For most individuals the exposure
to UV or sunlight is sufficient to maintain adequate level of vitamin D
production, UV exposure may be inadequate in some bedridden pt.
Ultraviolet irradiation induces keratinocyte proliferation and epidermal
hyperplasia through the activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor
Ultraviolet light from the sun affects the melanin in the skin to cause
tanning. However, UV can produce sunburn as well as tan the skin. The
wavelengths that produce sunburn are around 300 nm, just at the edge of the
solar spectrum. The amount of 300 nm light in the sun's spectrum depends
on the amount of atmosphere that the sunlight must pass through. Ordinary
window glass permits some near UV to be transmitted but absorbs the
sunburn component.
Solar UV light is also the major cause of skin cancer in humans. The
high incidence of skin cancer among people, who have been exposed to the
sun a great deal, such as fishermen and agricultural workers, may be
related to the fact that the UV wavelengths that produce sunburn are also
very well absorbed by the DNA in the cells. Skin cancer usually appears on
those portions of the body that have received the most sunlight, such as the
tip of the nose, the tops of the ears, and the back of the neck.
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Applications of infrared light in medicine
About half of the energy from the sun is in the IR region. The warmth
we feel from the sun is mainly due to the IR component. The IR rays are
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not usually hazardous even though they are focused by the cornea and lens
of the eye onto the retina. However, looking at the sun through a filter (e.g.,
plastic sunglasses) that removes most of the visible light and allows most of
the IR wavelengths through can cause a burn on the retina. Some people
have damaged their eyes in this way by looking at the sun during a solar
eclipse. Dark glasses absorb varying amounts of the IR and UV rays.
Infrared can also be used to photograph the pupil of the eye without
stimulating the reflex that changes its size. There are two types of
photography used in medicine
a. Reflective IR phototherapy:
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below the skin
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Hyperthermia treatment of cancer requires directing a carefully
controlled dose of heat to the cancerous tumor and surrounding body
tissue. Cancerous tissues can be destroyed at exposure to a temperature of
about 108 °F for an hour. This high heat must be used wisely—too little
heat and the cancer will not be killed. However, if too much heat misses
the tumor target, the skin or other healthy tissues could be burned.
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