Physics for Surgeons-Part 5: Optics for Surgeons

Darakhshan Qaiser; Piyush Ranjan; Kamal Kataria

doi:10.21467/ias.15.1.1-19

Authors

Darakhshan Qaiser Department of Surgical Disciplines, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi
Piyush Ranjan Department of Surgical Disciplines, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi
Kamal Kataria Department of Surgical Disciplines, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21467/ias.15.1.1-19

Abstract

Optical technologies are integral to modern surgical practice, supporting visualization, diagnosis, guidance, and therapy across a wide range of clinical applications. The performance and limitations of optical surgical instruments are fundamentally governed by the physical principles of light generation, propagation, and interaction with biological tissue. A clear understanding of these principles is essential for correct interpretation of optical information and safe, effective use of optical technologies in surgery. This review presents the fundamental principles of optical physics underlying diagnostic and therapeutic optical instruments used in surgical practice. Emphasis is placed on wavelength-dependent light–tissue interaction, optical properties of biological tissue, illumination sources, optical components, and imaging mechanisms relevant to surgery. Established optical technologies, including surgical microscopes, endoscopes, pulse oximeters, lasers, fluorescence-based systems, and optical fibers, are discussed alongside advanced imaging and therapeutic techniques such as optical coherence tomography, confocal microscopy, spectroscopy, and photodynamic therapy. Emerging optical approaches that provide molecular and functional information are also reviewed. By integrating optical physics with clinical context, this article aims to support surgeons and clinicians in understanding and interpreting optical technologies used in modern surgical care, while highlighting recent developments and future directions in biomedical optics relevant to surgery.

Keywords:

Biomedical optics, Light–tissue interaction, Optical technologies in surgery

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