It's an increasingly common sight in hospitals around the world: a nurse measures our height, weight, blood pressure, and attaches a glowing plastic clip to our finger. Suddenly, a digital screen reads out the oxygen level in our bloodstream. How did that happen? Sajan Saini shows how pairing light with integrated photonics is leading to new medical technologies and less invasive diagnostic tools. [Directed by Artrake Studio, narrated by Addison Anderson].

Sajan Saini: How light technology is changing medicine

How light technology is changing medicine

Pulse oximeters reveal blood oxygen levels by contrasting red and infrared light absorption, a vital, non-invasive health check.

Integrated photonics, manipulating light on a microscopic scale, heralds a revolution in medical diagnostics and chemical fingerprinting.

Labs-on-a-chip, powered by light technology, could soon non-invasively diagnose diseases from saliva or sweat, at home or a doctor’s office.