Precise weight measurements of stainless steel, PZT and PMMA samples were performed after groove machining with femtosecond laser pulses (150 fs, 800 nm, 5 kHz) to determine volume ablation rates and ablation threshold with good accuracy. Weighing clearly enables faster determination of such phenomenological parameters without any methodological issue compared to other methods. Comparisons of the three types of materials reveal similar monotonous trends depending on peak fluences from 0.2 to 15 J/cm². The metallic target exhibits both the lowest volume ablation rate under the highest irradiation conditions with almost 400 µm³/pulse and the lowest ablation threshold with 0.13 J/cm². Ceramic PZT reaches 3.10³ µm³/pulse with a threshold fluence of 0.26 J/cm² while polymer PMMA attains 10⁴ µm³/pulse for a 0.76 J/cm² threshold. Pros and cons of this method are also deduced from complementary results obtained on microscopic and confocal characterizations.

Amoebae pose a potential health risk as pathogenic agents i. e. in the central nervous system or the cornea, early diagnostics are important to implement rapid treatments and reduce impact on human health. Thus, development of selective fluorescent tags for Amoebae is an important issue. Analogues of Miltefosine, a drug effective against various strains of freeliving amoebae, have been synthesized. They are derivatives of the 11-aminoundecylphosphocholine. Via a peptide bond, a strong emitting BODIPY was embedded to the structure. This compound (1) was used to selectively stain for Acanthamoeba castellanii. In order to test the effect of the insertion of the amide function in the alkylbackbone of this modified Miltefosine, a model molecule (2) was prepared by replacing the dye by the anisidyl moiety. Anti-amoebic activity was evaluated for both.

, 75 pages Optical imaging techniques have improved much over the last fifty years since the invention of the laser. With a high brightness source many imaging applications which were once inaccessible to researchers have now become a reality. Among these techniques, the most beneficial one is the use of lasers for both wide-field and confocal imaging systems. The aim of this study was to design a laser imaging system based on the concept of laser scanning confocal microscopy. Specifically the optical system was based on optical fibers allowing the user to image remote areas such as the inner surface of rifled gun barrels and/or pipes with a high degree of precision (+/-0.01 mm). In order to build such a system, initially the theoretical foundation for a confocal as well as a wide-field imaging system was analyzed. Using this basis a free-space optical confocal system was built and analyzed. The measurements support the fact that both the objective numerical aperture and pinhole size play an important role in the radial and axial resolution of the system as well as the quality of the images obtained. v To begin construction of a confocal, optical-fiber based imaging system first an allfiber wide-field imaging system was designed and tested at a working wavelength of 1550 nm. Then an all fiber confocal system was designed at a working wavelength of 808 nm. In both cases results showed that while lateral resolution was adequate, axial resolution suffered since it was found that the design of the optical system needs to take into account under-filling of the objective lens, a result common with the use of laser beams whose divergence is not at all like that of a point source. The work done here will aid technology that will be used in the elimination process of faulty rifling fabrication in defense industry. The reason why the confocal technique is preferred to the conventional wide-field one is the need for better resolution in all directions. Theoretical concepts and mathematical background are discussed as well as the experimental results and the practical advantages of such a system. Keywords: Confocal-scanning laser microscope, wide-field imaging techniques, fiber optical imaging techniques Halil Berberoğlu, for his contributions especially to the MATLAB work. The author would also like to thank to her mother, father and little brother for their invaluable devotion and encouragement, and her fiancé Ulaş for his great understanding and patience. The fellowships of my colleagues and friends are gratefully acknowledged.

, 75 pages Optical imaging techniques have improved much over the last fifty years since the invention of the laser. With a high brightness source many imaging applications which were once inaccessible to researchers have now become a reality. Among these techniques, the most beneficial one is the use of lasers for both wide-field and confocal imaging systems. The aim of this study was to design a laser imaging system based on the concept of laser scanning confocal microscopy. Specifically the optical system was based on optical fibers allowing the user to image remote areas such as the inner surface of rifled gun barrels and/or pipes with a high degree of precision (+/-0.01 mm). In order to build such a system, initially the theoretical foundation for a confocal as well as a wide-field imaging system was analyzed. Using this basis a free-space optical confocal system was built and analyzed. The measurements support the fact that both the objective numerical aperture and pinhole size play an important role in the radial and axial resolution of the system as well as the quality of the images obtained. v To begin construction of a confocal, optical-fiber based imaging system first an allfiber wide-field imaging system was designed and tested at a working wavelength of 1550 nm. Then an all fiber confocal system was designed at a working wavelength of 808 nm. In both cases results showed that while lateral resolution was adequate, axial resolution suffered since it was found that the design of the optical system needs to take into account under-filling of the objective lens, a result common with the use of laser beams whose divergence is not at all like that of a point source. The work done here will aid technology that will be used in the elimination process of faulty rifling fabrication in defense industry. The reason why the confocal technique is preferred to the conventional wide-field one is the need for better resolution in all directions. Theoretical concepts and mathematical background are discussed as well as the experimental results and the practical advantages of such a system. Keywords: Confocal-scanning laser microscope, wide-field imaging techniques, fiber optical imaging techniques Halil Berberoğlu, for his contributions especially to the MATLAB work. The author would also like to thank to her mother, father and little brother for their invaluable devotion and encouragement, and her fiancé Ulaş for his great understanding and patience. The fellowships of my colleagues and friends are gratefully acknowledged.

International audiencePurpose Anterior and posterior stroma of human cornea present different biophysical characteristics, the later being more hydrated and collagen fibers less tightly packed. Our aim was to investigate interactions between femtosecond laser (FL) and stroma according to the depth of cut in order to optimize FL endothelial graft preparatio