Prospects for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for biomedical applications: a review

Abstract

We review the different spectroscopic techniques including the most recent laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for the characterization of materials in any phase (solid, liquid or gas) including biological materials. A brief history of the laser and its application in bioscience is presented. The development of LIBS, its working principle and its instrumentation (different parts of the experimental set up) are briefly summarized. The generation of laser-induced plasma and detection of light emitted from this plasma are also discussed. The merit and demerits of LIBS are discussed in comparison with other conventional analytical techniques. The work done using the laser in the biomedical field is also summarized. The analysis of different tissues, mineral analysis in different organs of the human body, characterization of different types of stone formed in the human body, analysis of biological aerosols using the LIBS technique are also summarized. The unique abilities of LIBS including detection of molecular species and calibration-free LIBS are compared with those of other conventional techniques including atomic absorption spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy and mass spectroscopy, and X-ray fluorescence.

Identification of single microbial particles using electro-dynamic balance assisted laser-induced breakdown and fluorescence spectroscopy

“…Na, Ca, and K have strong emission lines within the bandwidth of the spectrometer used in this work. They have been reported acting as dominant compounds in LIBS spectra of bacterial and fungal spores (Hybl et al 2003(Hybl et al , 2006Singh and Rai 2011) and the detection of Na, Ca, and K is not interfered by the elements present in the ambient air. In this study, we measured actual mass concentrations of these elements in single spores.…”

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy analysis of human deciduous teeth samples

“…In this technique, an intense laser light is used to ablate the target material, and emission spectra from the plasma plume are probed with the help of a high-resolution spectrometer. The obtained spectra of the target material are useful for the determination of plasma parameters like electron temperature and number density and also for the elemental analysis [2].…”

Qualitative tissue differentiation by analysing the intensity ratios of atomic emission lines using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS): prospects for a feedback mechanism for surgical laser systems

“…The technique can be used to identify elements and determine their concentrations in solids, liquids and gases [14]. High spatial resolution and absolute quantification, down to concentration levels of a few parts-per-million, can be achieved with this technique [15].…”