Medical Applications

Lasers are precise, selective scalpels that can be delivered to virtually any part of the body using thin strands of glass (fiber optics) originally developed for telecommunications.  These same fibers can be threaded into coronary arteries to characterize atherosclerotic plaques with unprecedented speed and resolution, while guiding life-saving procedures.  Skin laser treatments are widely used to remove scars and disfiguring birthmarks and to resurface damaged skin.  Devices powered by lasers and optics can measure blood chemistry, brain function and muscle activity; detect cancer and vascular disease and provide feedback on exercise, diet and medical therapies – all in a flash of light.

UCI Beckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic innovations are essential for a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic devices that are the standard-of-care throughout the world.  The Institute has contributed to growth at UCI, from driving research in cancer and cardiovascular disease to helping establish UCI Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, a designated National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the UCI Department of Biomedical Engineering.

Technologies developed at the Institute are used in:

  • Airway Disorders
  • Burns and Wounds
  • Cancer
  • Cardiovascular Disease
  • Diabetes
  • Exercise Medicine
  • Neurologic Injury and Disease
  • Ophthalmology
  • Oral Health
  • Skin Disease
  • Trauma and Critical Care
  • Vascular Malformations