CHAPTER 12: Instrumentation for Clinical Photodynamic Therapy and Photodynamic Diagnosis

Both photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photodynamic diagnosis (PDT) require instrumentation (hardware and software) for preclinical research and particularly for clinical translation. Each has basic functional elements in common, regardless of the specific application. In the case of PDT, these include light source and light delivery systems (including fiber optic devices), as well as instruments for dosimetry and the monitoring of therapeutic response. For PDD utilizing the fluorescence emission of photodynamic sensitizers, the basic requirements are an excitation light source and delivery system, as well as collection optics, spectral filters and a point or array detector. Specialized software is required for instrument control, data collection and spectral or image analysis and, in the case of PDT, also for treatment planning. The status of the clinical instrumentation for PDT and PDD is outlined, as well as potential future trends both for general purpose systems and for specialized applications, including high-end complex procedures, as well as simpler point-of-care uses.