Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy and acoustic response techniques to discriminate healthy and cancerous breast tissues

Abstract

Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy and subsequent acoustic response during microplasma formation are employed to identify cancerous human breast tissues. The characteristic optical emissions identify Ca, Na, and Mg rich species in cancerous tissues compared to those of healthy ones. Furthermore, we show that the characteristic parameters of the microplasma, generated on the unhealthy tissues, are elevated. We report higher decibel audio signals emanating from laser induced microplasma and a subsequent audio blueshift for malignant tissues. The higher abundance of trace elements in cancerous tissues as well as higher plasma temperature and electron density in laser induced microplasma (leading to a stronger shockwave) intensify the acoustic signals.