Sophisticated techniques employed in radiotherapy for irradiation of tumours require comprehensive dosimetry allowing for precise, high resolution measurements of radiation dose distribution in three dimensions and verification of treatment planning systems. Polymer gel dosimetry has been shown to be a unique technique for three-dimensional high resolution measurements of absorbed radiation dose distributions. If exposed to ionizing radiation, radical polymerisation and crosslinking of monomeric components take place in a 3D polymer gel dosimeter, leading to the formation of large polymeric structures that scatter visible light. This feature allows for optical observation of the effects of the absorbed dose and its distribution. Presently, magnetic resonance imaging is employed the most often for analysis of 3D polymer gel dosimeters. However, much attention is also being given to the development of optical computed tomography since this technique is hoped to serve as a substitute for expensive and not easily available magnetic resonance imaging. The optical scanner presented in this work consists of a laser diode, a scanning system and a signal detector. A 3D polymer gel dosimeter is measured in an immersion liquid in order to reduce deflection of the light from the dosimeter phantom. The very first results were obtained with the newly constructed scanner for PABIG 3D polymer gel dosimeter, which was inhomogeneously irradiated with Ir brachytherapy source. The results have been contrasted with those for magnetic resonance imaging and are presented in this work together with the description of the optical scanner. Currently, optimization of the optical scanner is performed.

The technology and applications of fluorescence spectroscopy are rapidly advancing. In this overview presentation we summarize some recent developments from this laboratory. Two and three-photon excitation have been observed for a wide variety of intrinsic and extrinsic fluorophores, including tryptophan, tyrosine, DNA stains, membrane probes, and even alkanes. It has been possible to observe multi-photon excitation of biopolymers without obvious photochemical or photo-thermal effects. Although not de-scribed in our lecture, another area of increasing interest is the use of engineered proteins for chemical and clinical sensing. We show results for the glucose-galactose binding protein from The labeled protein shows spectral changes in response to micromolar concentrations of glucose. This protein was used with a novel sensing method based on the modulated emission of the labeled proteins and a long lifetime reference fluorophore. And finally, we describe a recently developed rhenium complex which displays a lifetime near 3 in oxygenated aqueous solution. Such long life-time probes allow detection of microsecond dynamic processes, bypassing the usual nanosecond timescale limit of fluorescence. The result of these developments in protein engineering, sensing methods, and metal-ligand probe chemistry will be the increased use of fluorescence in clinical chemistry and point-of-care analyses.