Rhodamine B as an optical thermometer in cells focally exposed to infrared laser light or nanosecond pulsed electric fields.

The temperature-dependent fluorescence property of Rhodamine B was used to measure changes in temperature at the cellular level induced by either infrared laser light exposure or high intensity, ultrashort pulsed electric fields. The thermal impact of these stimuli were demonstrated at the cellular level in time and contrasted with the change in temperature observed in the extracellular bath. The method takes advantage of the temperature sensitivity of the fluorescent dye Rhodamine B which has a quantum yield linearly dependent on temperature. The thermal effects of different temporal pulse applications of infrared laser light exposure and of nanosecond pulsed electric fields were investigated. The temperature increase due to the application of nanosecond pulsed electric fields was demonstrated at the cellular level.