Plasmonic Nanobubbles: From Physics to Clinics

This book delves into the transformative potential of external energy in diagnosing and treating diseases, ranging from cancers to malaria, at their core. The strategy is to replace often harmful substances in patients with on-demand diagnostic and therapeutic events in cells. By merging physics, nanotechnology, and biology, laser pulses are converted into tiny explosions, named plasmonic nanobubbles, within cells. By harnessing disease to create energy-converting structures, plasmonic nanobubbles deliver precise diagnostic and therapeutic effects that improve traditional medicine. Their real-time nature supports robotics and artificial intelligence to create cell-level medicine of the future. For instance, plasmonic nanobubbles instantly detect and destroy aggressive cancer cells or malaria parasites that are otherwise undetectable. This book is the first comprehensive resource for understanding plasmonic nanobubble concepts, experiments, and clinical designs in non-invasive diagnostics, biopsy, endoscopy, microsurgery, drug and gene delivery, and therapy.

Dmitri Lapotko obtained his MS in thermal physics and PhD in laser defense applications from Belarus State University and Doctor of Science in bioengineering from A. V. Lykov Heat and Mass Transfer Institute, Belarus. His research in biophotonics and nanotechnology in basic, applied, and clinical sciences resulted in the invention of the photothermal microscope for the functional analysis of live cells and laser-generated vapor nanobubbles (plasmonic and photothermal nanobubbles) as a novel platform for diagnostic, therapeutic, and surgical technologies for cancer and other clinical applications where standards of care fail.