LASERS AND OPTICS IN HEALTH-CARE

Lasers and optics have affected health care in a myriad of ways. This paper surveys their impact on three aspects of health care: Ij surgery and medicine, 2) biology, and 3) biotechnology. In surgery, fiber opt ics have enabled the development of endoscopes, which allow access to most sites within the body. Endoscopes have, in turn, led to the devel opment of minimally invasive therapy, which is charging the practice o f surgery. Optics contributes to biology via new techniques for visual ization, measurement and analysis, and manipulation. In biotechnology, broadly defined as the measurement, manipulation, and manufacture of large biologically significant molecules such as proteins and DNA, opt ical methods have become important in genetic sequencing and pharmaceu tical development.