Total effective fluence: A useful concept in photodynamic therapy

Photodynamic therapy is generally carried out using a laser, usually a dye laser with the wavelength tuned to suit the particular sensitizer. The availability of broad-band sources for use in photodynamic therapy is challenging the role of the laser, since the non-laser sources are more portable and less expensive. Also, the wavelengths utilized may easily be changed by optical filtering. However, the use of a broad-band source introduces serious problems with dosimetry. The concept of the 'total effective fluence' takes account of the incident spectral irradiance from the light source, optical transmission through tissue (preferably including backscatter), and absorption by the sensitizer. Application of the concept to various light sources demonstrates the potential value of this simple concept.