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Introduction: The present work is a novel in vitro study that evaluated the possibility of diagnosing neoplastic from nonneoplastic gastric tissues using spark discharge assisted laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (SD-LIBS) method. Methods: In these experiments, the low energy laser pulses ablated a tiny amount of tissue surface leading to plasma formation. Then, a spark discharge was applied to plasma in order to intensify the plasma radiation. Light emission from plasma was recorded as spectra which were analyzed. Gastric tissues of 5 people were studied through this method. Results: The SD-LIBS technique had the potential to discriminate normal and cancerous tissues based on the significant differences in the intensities of some particular elements. The comparison of normalized calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) peaks of neoplastic and nonneoplastic gastric tissues could be viewed as a practical measure for tissue discrimination since Ca and Mg peaks in spectra of neoplastic were noticeably higher than nonneoplastic. Conclusion: Considering the identification of gastric cancer, the applied method in these experiments seems quite fast, noninvasive and cost-effective with respect to other conventional methods. The significant increment of specific Ca and Mg lines of neoplastic gastric tissues in comparison to the nonneoplastic ones can be considered as valuable information that might bring about tissue classification. The number of samples in this work, however, was not sufficient for a decisive conclusion and further researches is needed to generalize this idea.

In the surgical treatment of malignant tumors, it is crucial to characterize the tumor as precisely as possible. The determination of the exact tumor location as well as the analysis of its properties is very important in order to obtain an accurate diagnosis as early as possible. In neurosurgical applications, the optical, non-invasive and in situ techniques allow for the label-free analysis of tissue, which is helpful in neuropathology. In the past decades, optical spectroscopic methods have been investigated drastically in the management of cancer. In the optical spectroscopic techniques, tissue interrogate with sources of light which are ranged from the ultraviolet to the infrared wavelength in the spectrum. The information accumulation of light can be in a reflection which is named reflectance spectroscopy; or interactions with tissue at different wavelengths which are called fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy. This review paper introduces the optical spectroscopic methods which are used to characterize brain tumors (neuro-oncology). Based on biochemical information obtained from these spectroscopic methods, it is possible to identify tumor from normal brain tissues, to indicate tumor margins, the borders towards normal brain tissue and infiltrating gliomas, to distinguish radiation damage of tissues, to detect particular central nervous system (CNS) structures to identify cell types using particular neurotransmitters, to detect cells or drugs which are optically labeled within therapeutic intermediations and to estimate the viability of tissue and the prediction of apoptosis beginning in vitro and in vivo. The label-free, optical biochemical spectroscopic methods can provide clinically relevant information and need to be further exploited to develop a safe and easy-to-use technology for in situ diagnosis of malignant tumors.

Introduction: In this study, laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is used for qualitative analysis of healthy and carious teeth. The technique of laser ablation is receiving increasing attention for applications in dentistry, specifically for the treatment of teeth such as drilling of micro-holes and plaque removal., Methods: A quality-switched (Q-switched) Neodymium-Doped Yttrium Aluminium Garnet (Nd:YAG) laser operating at wavelength of 1064 nm, pulse energy of 90 mJ/pulse, repetition rate of 2Hz and pulse duration of 6 ns was used in this analysis. In the process of ablation a luminous micro-plasma is normally generated which may be exploited for on-line elemental analysis via laser induced breakdown spectroscopy technique. We propose laser induced breakdown spectroscopy as a rapid, in situ and easy method for monitoring drilling process., Results: The results of elemental analysis show the presence of some trace elements in teeth including P, Ca, Mg, Zn, K, Sr, C, Na, H, O and the permeability of some amalgam (teeth filling materials) elements including Hg, Ag, Cu and Sn into dental matrix., Conclusion: This study addresses the ability of LIBS in elemental analysis of teeth and its feasibility in acute identification of healthy and carious teeth during drilling process for future clinical applications.