Laser Tech Fights Cancer

Researchers at the University of Tennessee Space Institute in Tullahoma have developed a technology that goes on a 'seek and destroy' mission for cancerous tumors. They have harnessed the power of lasers to find, map, and non-invasively destruct cancerous tumors. Christian Parigger, associate professor of physics, and Jacqueline Johnson, associate professor of mechanical, aerospace, and biomedical engineering, along with Robert Splinter of Splinter Consultants, have developed the invention. The technology uses a femtosecond laser, which means it pulses at speeds of one-quadrillionth of a second. The high speed enables the laser to focus in on a specific region to find and acutely map a tumor.

Transcript

00:00:07 Researchers at the University of Tennessee Space Institute in Tullahoma have a laser-like focus when it comes to cancer research. They've developed a single technology that essentially goes on a seek-and-destroy mission when it comes to cancerous tumors. Christian Parigger, associate professor of physics, and his colleagues developed an invention which uses the power and speed of a femtosecond laser, which pulses at speeds of one quadrillionth of a second. Parigger: "There are two things I believe the focus helps us to diagnose things non-invasively. In other words, it's sort of like we shine light on you and detect remotely what may be wrong." Once a cancerous area is precisely targeted, the intensity of the laser only needs to be cranked up

00:00:57 in order to burn off a tumor. Because the laser is more exact and quicker than those used currently, this technology has the potential to make cancer treatment an out-patient procedure. Parigger: "The femtosecond, you focus in very precisely, very accurately. Spatially and temporally you avoid maybe heating up too many other things that you don't want to heat up." The technology can be especially helpful to brain cancer victims, as it can easily image and irradiate through the skull. Parigger's in talks to commercialize this invention and hopefully see it winning in the fight against cancer. Parigger: "I am convinced as a physics person that this is a good thing for our health."