Researchers predict a laser-based diagnostic method will remove the need for several invasive medical procedures within the next five years. The procedure, known as Raman spectroscopy, will be used to analyze internal tissues without resorting to scalpels or cell-damaging radiation. When light waves enter a medium, they are distorted in a predictable fashion by the molecular structures. When properly analyzed, these light refractions provide detailed information about the chemical makeup of the subject and, depending on the application, can reveal anything from the location of a dental cavity to the glucose concentration of a patient's blood. Raman spectroscopy is not currently used on patients but has proven effective in analyzing cadavers and monitoring chemical processes in pharmaceutical production. Developers expect this technology to replace traditional X-ray diagnostic methods. Mammography would be particularly affected by this, as the spectroscopy would allow physicians to determine whether any tissue abnormalities were malignant. Given that 80 percent of breast tumors requiring biopsy turn out to be benign, one can imagine how many unnecessary surgeries could be forgone with better optical technology, as well as how spectroscopy will soon provide patients with precise, less invasive medical treatment.
-compiled by Josh McNamara
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