Applications of autofluorescence for characterisation of biological systems (biomonitoring).

We describe a system capable of measuring the laser induced fluorescence emission of two coenzymes (NADH and FAD) via an optical fibre for in vivo monitoring of anatomical, physiological or pathological changes in biological systems. This optical technique permits the measurement of changes in the metabolism of cells in real-time and is nearly non-destructive. We present results of examinations on the localisation of transitions between different tissue and the monitoring of the oxygenation level (ischemia) in muscle or changes in the cellular activity of bacteria in a bioreactor.