A new extension of photonics is biophotonics, which involves a
fusion of
photonics and biology. Biophotonics deals with interaction
between light and
biological matter. The use of photonics for optical diagnostics,
as well as for light-activated and light-guided therapy, will have
a major impact on health care. This is not surprising since Nature
has used biophotonics as a basic principle of life from the
beginning. Harnessing photons to achieve photosynthesis and
conversion of photons through a series of complex steps to create
vision are the best examples of biophotonics at work. Conversely,
biology is also advancing photonics, since biomaterials are showing
promise as new photonic media for technological applications. As an
increasingly aging world population presents unique health
problems, biophotonics offers great hope for the early detection of
diseases and for new modalities of light-guided and light-activated
therapies. Lasers have already made a significant impact on
general, plastic, and cosmetic surgeries. Two popular examples of
cosmetic surgeries utilizing lasers are skin resurfacing (most
commonly known as wrinkle removal) and hair removal. Laser
technology also allows one to administer a burst of ultrashort
laser pulses that have shown promise for use in tissue engineering.
Furthermore, biophotonics may produce retinal implants for
restoring vision by reverse engineering Nature's methods.