Scientists at UCLA have developed a handheld scanner that creates 3D photoacoustic images of blood vessels in a matter of seconds. Its use accelerates the diagnosis of cancer, cardiovascular disease and arthritis. Research results It was published In Nature Biomedical Engineering journal.
In some conditions, such as peripheral vascular disease (PVD) and complications of diabetes, early abnormalities in small blood vessels often cannot be detected with standard imaging techniques, including MRI.
The new scanner is capable of creating high-quality images of blood vessels in real time. Photoacoustic tomography, the basis for the development, uses laser ultrasound waves to visualize subtle changes in veins and arteries in human tissue less than one millimeter deep and up to 15 mm deep.
The researchers noted that existing PET technologies that use X-rays are significantly inferior to the new device in both speed and image quality. Thanks to fast scanning, the new scanner reduces blurriness, making it especially suitable for examining patients with limited mobility and accelerating diagnostic processes.
If the development undergoes additional testing, it could become an effective tool for diagnosing cancer and cardiovascular disease within three to five years, according to the study’s authors. An important potential benefit of using the new scanner is rapid detection of signs of inflammatory arthritis. To carry out the diagnosis in normal mode, it is necessary to scan all 20 joints of the fingers of both hands. With the new device, this can be done in a few minutes.
Previously was named A new surgical method in the treatment of heart failure.
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Source: Gazeta
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