Abstract
Narinder Singh Kapany, considered by many as the father of fibre optics, was one of the first scientists to start the field of fibre-optics with ground-breaking demonstrations of optical fibre-based imaging, sensing, and optical communication systems. Although his seminal works in the area of fibre-optics are well-documented, much less is known about his equally important contributions in the development of biomedical optics. This article highlights Kapany’s ground-breaking innovations in pushing the frontiers of biology and medicine by elaborating three selected examples from his work: (i) fibreoptics hypodermic probe for live-tissue imaging, (ii) photocoagulation of retina, and (iii) optical oximetry of blood. We discuss the basics of these ideas and focus on how Kapany overcame many challenges to demonstrate ready-to-use prototypes from scratch. These innovations form precursors to many modern-day instruments, which are essential for current medical applications. Kapany’s life journey is yet another embodiment of how curiosity-driven research can change the course of human history.
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Biswajit Panda is currently a PhD student at IISER Mohali. His research interest includes experimental and theoretical study of nanoscale optical properties of biomaterials.
Kamal P Singh is working as an Associate Professor at IISER Mohali. His research interests are in ultrafast lasers, attosecond physics, precision laser interferometers, radiation pressure effects, and probing novel properties of spider silk. He is Head of the Max-Planck Partners group and is a fellow of the National Academy of Sciences in India.
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Panda, B., Singh, K.P. Pioneering Works of N. S. Kapany in Biomedical Optics. Reson 26, 1629–1641 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12045-021-1275-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12045-021-1275-0