Several previous Advanced Study Institutes have concentrated on the techniques of light scattering, while the biological appli cations were not fully explored. Many of the techniques are now standardised and are being applied to a wide range of biologically significant problems both in vivo and in vitro. While laser light scattering methods are superior to conventional methods, there was a general reluctance among biologists to adopt them because of the complexity of the physical techniques and the accompanying mathe matical analysis. Consequently valuable opportunities for advancing the understanding of the biological problems were being missed. Advances in the design and commercial availability of standard light scattering instruments, and the availability of standard computer programs, made the more widespread use of these techniques a practical reality for the biologist. While biologists are unable to cope with the complexities of the physical techniques, physicists are generally unaware of the nature and scale of the biological problems. The meeting at Maratea was an attempt to bring these two groups together and provide an impetus for the application of laser light scattering techniques to biology. This volume differs from the three previous proceedings on laser light scattering in the NATO ASI series (B3, B23, B73), in that it has been published in the Life Sciences series rather than the Physics series, reflecting the shift in emphasis from the development of a new technique to its application in biology.

The purpose of this 4-volume set is to examine some of the applications of lasers in polymer science and technology. Now available for the first time, up-to-date information on this fascinating subject is compiled and presented in compact form. This set focuses on current research and developments in the application of lasers in polymer and biopolymer chemistry. It includes experimental and theoretical details, apparatus, techniques, and applications. This set is a useful source for researchers, students, polymer chemists, and physicists involved in this astonishing field of high technology.

This text begins by describing the basic principles and diagnostic applications of optical techniques based on detecting and processing the scattering, fluorescence, FT IR, and Raman spectroscopic signals from various tissues, with an emphasis on blood, epithelial tissues, and human skin. The second half of the volume discusses specific imaging technologies, such as Doppler, laser speckle, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and fluorescence and photoacoustic imaging.

The introduction of innovative light sources, fibre laser sources and light emitting diodes, is opening unexpected perspectives into optical techniques and is promising new exciting applications in the field of biomedicine. Lasers and Current Optical Techniques in Biology aims to provide an overview of light sources, together with an extensive and authoritative description of the optical techniques in bio-medicine. This book is designed to give biomedical researchers a strong feel for the capability of physical approaches, promote new interdisciplinary interests and persuade more practitioners to take advantage of optical techniques. Current developments in a variety of optical techniques, including Near-Infra Red Spectroscopy, and traditional and advanced fluorescence techniques are covered, ranging from those that are becoming common practice to those that need much more experimentation before they can be accepted as real breakthroughs. Further topics include optical coherence tomography and its variations, polarised light imaging and, principle laser and lamp sources- a usually fragmentary topic, often dispersed among specialist publications. The wide range of topics covered make Lasers and Current Optical Techniques in Biology of interest to a diverse range of scientific communities.