Antanas Laurutis, of Altechna, believes photonics are reshaping medical diagnostics.
The healthcare industry struggles with providing accurate and timely diagnostics. Traditional methods can be invasive, time-consuming, and sometimes lack the sensitivity to catch diseases early. Delayed diagnoses can have serious consequences, limiting treatment options and affecting patient recovery. Progress in medical diagnostics directly improves patient care by enabling earlier intervention, personalized treatment plans, and better health outcomes.
Photonics is leading a major shift in medical diagnostics by enhancing imaging accuracy, speeding up diagnoses, and improving patient care. Using light, this field is changing how we detect and treat diseases, making early diagnosis and better patient outcomes more common.
The global biophotonics market (or photonics market in medicine), valued at USD 61.04 billion in 2022, is projected to experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.3% from 2023 to 2030.
Looking at the numbers, I can see that the photonics industry is growing in size and importance. This sector’s increasing investments and innovations are paving the way for breakthroughs that could transform technology. In 5 to 10 years, medicine can move away from invasive methods to non-invasive ones. It will make both diagnosis and treatment for patients more comfortable. We will also see a large increase in the detection of diseases at earlier stages, which will make their treatment more successful.
Ophthalmology and biophotonic sensors
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) was a major issue before the advent of photonics, being a leading cause of blindness and a global healthcare challenge. Manual retinal exams were inconsistent and subjective, making early detection difficult. As a result, the disease was often found late, leading to significant vision loss, reduced quality of life, and higher medical costs.
Photonics has made significant progress in ophthalmology, especially with Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) scans, and can become a solution to the problem of DR detection. For instance, Washington University in St. Louis recently received USD 20 million to develop a portable OCT device. This advanced technology uses light to create detailed images of the retina, allowing early detection of eye diseases like diabetic retinopathy.
Portable photonics-driven devices could genuinely transform patient care. By cutting out the need for long journeys and lengthy waits, these devices would allow patients to get scans at home, receive results in minutes, and start treatment much faster. This kind of accessibility could make a real difference in the way we experience and manage healthcare.
Biophotonic sensors also represent a major leap forward. These sensors use light to analyse biological tissues and fluids, enabling real-time, non-invasive monitoring of various health parameters. While millions of people caught the deadly virus during the COVID-19 pandemic, it became expedient to have tests that detect the virus in the system as fast as possible. Photonics again came as a solution when lab-on-a-chip biosensors helped detect COVID-19 antibodies in about a minute, without needing expensive laboratories.
The example makes me believe that the speed of detection of viruses, diseases, and various health conditions will dramatically increase in the future. We will see detection decrease from weeks to split minutes or even seconds and it will again reflect on the very procedure of how patients are serviced in hospitals, queues, and appointments with doctors. Everything will become more patient-centred.
Cancer diagnosis with remote sensing and AI-based lasers
Cancer detection and treatment have long been challenging due to late-stage diagnosis, which limits options and survival rates. Traditional methods like X-rays and ultrasound often missed small tumours or early signs, while invasive procedures caused discomfort and complications.
We have more hope now as photonics is also transforming cancer diagnostics. Treating it is a time-sensitive issue and in early stages many forms of cancers are treatable. Therefore, with such photonic techniques, as Photon Absorption Remote Sensing, we can detect the disease at its outset and give better chances of successful treatment and prolongation of lives for the patients.
Photonics has enabled the development of lasers and AI-based systems that can detect cancerous tissues within minutes (up to half an hour), drastically reducing the time needed for diagnosis and intervention. Traditional biopsy methods may require the patient to wait weeks or even months to get the results.
As you may know, patients with cancer may not afford such luxury as waiting for weeks and months and need to be treated before the cancer spreads. Saving time on detection equals saving the lives of cancer patients. This will become more evident when photonics is globally adopted soon.
The benefits of photonics in medical diagnostics: a case study
Photonics-based diagnostics offer greater precision, faster results, and non-invasive procedures, reducing patient discomfort and risk. They are also more cost-effective over time by minimizing the need for multiple tests and lowering overall healthcare costs.
Take, for instance, a recent case study that illustrates these benefits. A patient who bruises easily developed a bruise after an injectable dermal filler procedure, despite the doctor’s careful technique. Initial treatments with vitamin K cream and ice were ineffective. However, Nd:YAG laser therapy, administered three times over two days, resolved the bruise within a week without side effects.
In my view, photonics-based diagnostics are a breakthrough. They detect diseases earlier and more accurately, without invasive methods. This approach improves patient outcomes and cuts healthcare costs. Embracing photonics allows doctors to offer more effective diagnostics and treatments. With its potential to transform how we handle diseases like cancer, photonics is a crucial step towards a better future for healthcare.
Antanas Laurutis is the CEO of Altechna, a Lithuanian company specialising in laser optics and photonics.