Glenn Fallucca, Senior Chemistry and Physics Major

email Glenn
Glenn's senior project is an investigation of the optical properties of blood-solubilized benzoporphyrin derivative, a winner in the physics division of the 1998 South Carolina Academy of Science.
Benzoporphyrin derivative is a dye that has been used experimentally in photodynamic therapy. It has been shown to be effective in the treatment of macular degeneration. The dye is injected locally or intravenously. While the dye is in the blood stream, a laser is focused onto blood vessels in the back of the eye. The laser light interacts with BPD to create singlet oxygen, destroying the targeted blood vessels. As photodynamic therapy becomes a more common treatment option, it will be important to have light dosimetry models available for physicians. Accurate light modeling depends on the availability of optical constants for tissues. The purpose of this project is to determine the optical coefficients of BPD-sensitized bovine blood. The long term goal is to model photodynamic therapy for macular degeneration.