Executive Summary: Biophotonics: A Strategic Assessment of Photonics Technologies for Biomedical Applications

Containing a snapshot of the overall market analysis, each Executive Summary provides a description of the scope and methodology used in the report; a summary of results including market size and market growth; a sampling of charts and graphs when available; and a brief look at the trends shaping the market.

The report from which this Executive Summary is compiled is Biophotonics: A Strategic Assessment of Photonics Technologies for Biomedical Applications , and the full study abstract is as follows:

Collectively, the techniques of photon-based experimental manipulation and advanced optical imaging define the field of biophotonics. There are several key areas that are associated with biophotonics. All of these center on microscopy and related technology. The reason that this is so is that biophotonics look at biological functions at the cellular level, or even smaller. The only way that these processes can be observed is via one or another form of microscopy.

Among the different types of microscopy and associated technologies essential to the applications of biophotonics are:

• Optical Sectioning Microscopy
  • Differential Interference Contrasting Imaging (Nomarski Imaging)
  • Laser Scanning Confocal Imaging
  • Parallel Beam Confocal Imaging Systems
  • Multiple-Photon Excitation Fluorescence Microscopy
  • Computational Optical Sectioning Microscopy
• Photon Limited Microscopy
  • Charge Coupled Detectors (CCDs)
  • Avalanche photodiodes (APDs)
  • Photomultipliers (PMTs)
• Fluorescent Probes
• Fluorescent Lifetime Imaging
• Caged Bioactive Probes
• Several Non-Imaging Optical Techniques

Photonics has been a reality in non-life-sciences field for a long time now. It has been of great value in many industrial applications and even to the point of use in strategic surveillance. Now that it has been pointed toward the life-sciences fields is had found a new, rapidly growing area of development. Newer applications and associated technologies include:

• Microgenomics
• Maldi-ToF Mass Spectrometry
• Solid-State Lasers
• Raman Spectroscopy
• Cytometry
• Plasmon Resonance
• CARS Microscopy
• Quantum Dots
• Microwave Technology
• Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET)
• Protein Microarrays
• Microlenses
• Atomic Force Microscopy
• Whirling Fiber Endoscopy
• Adaptive Optics
• Nanowires
• Aptamers