Recently, fiber optic sensors (FOSs) have emerged as an optimal tool to control laser- and, more in general,
energy-based therapies. Their small size, high accuracy, intrinsic safety, electrical passivity, and compatibility with diagnostic systems, make FOSs ideally suited for a broad variety of applications in life sciences, medical monitoring and diagnostics, such as temperature monitoring for thermal-based therapies for localized tumors.

In this webinar, Paola Saccomandi will present emerging applications of FOSs for thermometry and feedback-controlled delivery of laser treatments. Fiber Bragg grating sensors and distributed sensors will be described and discussed for the specific application. While FOSs allow measuring and controlling the tissue temperature distribution evolving during laser treatment, novel solutions are needed to directly monitor the thermal state of biological tissues. Thus, this webinar will also discuss an innovative hyperspectral imaging approach for monitoring and predicting the thermal state of biological tissues based on the measurement of its optical “fingerprint.”

Subject Matter Level: Intermediate - Assumes basic knowledge of the topic

What You Will Learn:
• Fundamentals on distributed and quasi-distributed fiber optic thermometry
• Fundamentals and applications on laser therapy control
• Innovative applications of spectral imaging

Who Should Attend:
• Students and researchers interested in fiber optic sensors and tissue imaging
• Students and researchers willing to explore the potentialities of real-time monitoring and control of minimally invasive therapies against cancer
• Companies working in the field of medical lasers and medical devices

About the Presenter: Paola Saccomandi from the Politecnico di Milano

Paola Saccomandi is an Associate Professor of Mechanical and Thermal Measurements at the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Politecnico di Milano and is head of the Laboratory of Measurements for Biomedical Applications (Lambda Lab). She is the Principal Investigator on two ERC-funded research projects and PI/task leader of different national scientific projects. In 2014 she obtained her PhD in Biomedical Engineering. In 2016 she won a research fellowship at the Institute of Image-Guided Surgery (IHU) of Strasbourg, where she coordinated several projects of fiber optic and image-based thermometry during minimally invasive surgical treatments. She is a senior member of IEEE, Chair of IEEE EMBS Technical Committee on Therapeutic Systems and Technologies, vice Chair of IEEE Women in Engineering Italy, member of SPIE, technical program chair of international conferences and one of the officers of the IEEE Italy Sensor Chapter.