Handbook of Photomedicine

Handbook of Photomedicine

Providing the most comprehensive, up-to-date coverage of this exciting biomedical field, Handbook of Photomedicine gathers together a large team of international experts to give you a complete account of the application of light in healthcare and medical science. The book progresses logically from the history and fundamentals of photomedicine to diverse therapeutic applications of light, known collectively as phototherapies. It facilitates your understanding of human diseases caused by light, the rationale for photoprotection, and major applications of phototherapy in clinical practice.

The handbook begins with a series of historical vignettes of pioneers from the last two centuries. It also presents the fundamentals of physics and biology as applied to photomedicine. It next examines conditions and diseases caused by light, including skin cancer, dermatoses, and immunosuppression.

The remainder of the book focuses on the most important clinical therapeutic applications of different kinds of light that vary in both wavelength and intensity. The book discusses ultraviolet phototherapy for skin diseases and infections and presents the basic science of photodynamic therapy and its use in cancer therapy and other medical specialties. It then covers mechanistic studies and clinical applications of low-level laser (light) therapy as well as the use of high power or surgical laser therapy in specialties, such as dentistry and dermatology. The book concludes with a collection of miscellaneous types of phototherapy.

Michael R. Hamblin, PhD, is a principal investigator in the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, an associate professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School, and a member of the affiliated faculty of the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Science and Technology. A SPIE Fellow, he is an associate editor for seven journals, serves on the NIH Study Sections, and holds eight patents. Dr. Hamblin has published over 190 peer-reviewed articles, over 150 conference proceedings, and numerous book chapters. His research in photomedicine concentrates on photodynamic therapy for infections, cancer, and heart disease as well as low-level light therapy for wound healing, arthritis, traumatic brain injury, and hair regrowth.

Ying-Ying Huang, MD, is an instructor at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Huang has published 40 peer-reviewed articles, 15 conference proceedings, and several book chapters. Her research focuses on photodynamic therapy for infections and cancer as well as the mechanisms of low-level light therapy.