Spectroscopy of laser-induced plasmas: an interdisciplinary research program for the 21st Century

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21st Century medicine has been characterized by the increasingly frequent use of high-technology to decrease the time it takes to make accurate diagnoses of disease, pathology, or trauma and to treat medical conditions. Examples include faster MRI and CT machines capable of high-resolution imaging and fiber-optic based endoscopic laser angioplasty for rapidly clearly blocked arteries during heart attacks. In particular, the use of lasers and other light-based (optical) techniques has greatly contributed to the simplicity and speed of these tests and procedures. The use of pulsed laser systems to treat dermatological conditions like birthmarks or melanoma and the use of bright blue lamps during dental checkups to quickly screen for oral cancers are great examples of the innovative use of optical technology. In our program of study, we are attempting to understand how light-based laser systems can be used to rapidly identify pathogenic bacteria. These bacteria could be obtained from a clinical specimen (of blood or urine) to immediately and positively identify the infectious agent responsible for an infection. Such a test does not currently exist, and as a result sick people are frequently treated incorrectly by being prescribed broad-spectrum antibiotics, which has led to the evolution of antibiotic- or multiply-drug resistant bacteria. Also, such misdiagnoses usually lead to longer and more expensive medical interventions, often with worse outcomes. Alternately the same laser-based technology could be used on surfaces, to determine if they have been properly cleaned/sterilized; it could potentially be used on samples of food to screen for the most common food-borne pathogens which make millions of people world wide sick every year and can even be fatal. Even if not directly impacted by food-poisoning or misdiagnosed/mistreated infections, all Canadians carry this burden in the form of ever-increasing national medical costs. Interestingly, the exact same laser-technology could potentially be utilized to screen large populations of people for nutritional deficiencies by quickly and painlessly analyzing the fingernail. We have been exploring the ability to rapidly identify dietary zinc deficiency, which actually is a leading cause of death among toddlers worldwide, particularly in the developing world. Our research program is attempting to bring together the expertise in physics, optics, cellular biology, and engineering to eventually develop a commercial Canadian solution to these global health issues.