Medical practitioners, scientists and graduate students alike will find this exhaustive survey a vital learning tool. It provides a thorough description of the fundamentals and applications in the field of laser-tissue interactions. Basic concepts such as the optical and thermal properties of tissue, the various types of tissue ablation, and optical breakdown and its related effects are treated in detail. The author pays special attention to mathematical tools (Monte Carlo simulations, the Kubelka-Munk theory etc.) and approved techniques (photodynamic therapy, laser-induced interstitial thermotherapy etc.). A section on applications reviews clinically relevant methods in modern medicine using the latest references.

Markolf H. Niemz is a full professor of biomedical engineering at Heidelberg University, the oldest university in Germany founded in 1386. He studied physics and bioengineering at Heidelberg University and the University of California at San Diego. He also was a research fellow at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Harvard Medical School. Niemz is the author of several original papers on laser-tissue interactions. His research focuses on ultrashort laser pulses and their applications in ophthalmology and dentistry.