• Stereo mammography a big leap in breast imaging

    10Mar
    Categories: Diagnostics, Imaging, News and Updates Comments: 0

    breast-anatomy.jpg
    Stereoscopic digital mammography, a new diagnostic technique capable of producing three-dimensional, in-depth views of breast tissue, could significantly reduce the number of women who are recalled for additional tests following routine screening mammography. Results of a clinical trial being conducted at Emory University Breast Clinic in Atlanta were presented Thursday at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

    Stereoscopic digital mammography consists of two digital x-ray images of the breast acquired from two different points of view separated by about eight degrees. When the images are viewed on a stereo display workstation, the radiologist is able to see the internal structure of the breast in three dimensions. In the ongoing clinical trial, researchers use a full-field digital mammography unit modified to take stereo pairs of images. The workstation enables the mammographer to fuse the stereo image pair and to view the breast in depth.

    In the study, stereo mammography reduced false positives by 49%. This huge drop in percentage has strong implications with regard to needless cost in time and money. BBN Technologies and Planar Systems developed the stereo display workstation used in the trial.

    (Source)

  • 4D Ultrasound

    24Feb
    Categories: Imaging, Information Comments: 0

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    Technology brings us to a new frontier in medicine – the 4D ultrasound which is now making prenatal screening much easier.

    The 4D ultrasound produces sound waves from many angles which shows moving images of the unborn. The images are more detailed and are captured at a much faster rate compared to 2D or 3D scanning.

    Expectant mothers (and fathers) have a better view of fetal movements inside the womb. They can even ask their doctors for a DVD copy or still images of the baby.

    Doctors also benefit from the use of 4D ultrasound. They have a better view of the fetal development inside the mother’s womb and note if there are any abnormalities or malformations, thus being able to be more prepared for any complications when the baby is born, or if possible, even mitigate any problems even while the baby is still in the womb.

  • Engineers Have Big Ideas for the Latest in Medical Scanners

    14Aug
    Categories: Developmental stage, Diagnostics, Hearing Technology, Imaging, Information, Management and Treatment, News and Updates, Pharmaceuticals, Vaccines Comments: 2


    Image Source:www.ex-astris-scientia.org

    Rutherford-Appleton Laboratories have developed one of the World´s largest imagers that could form the heart of future medical scanners. The new technology will allow doctors to produce more sensitive and faster images of the human body at a lower-cost to the healthcare profession.

    The innovative technology, which has been developed as part of the £4.5m Basic Technology MI-3 Consortium, will help in providing instant analysis of medical screening tests and the early detection of cancer.

    Easier to use and faster than the imagers used in current body scanners, and with very large active pixel sensors with an imaging area of approximately 6cm square, the technology has been specifically developed to meet demanding clinical applications such as x-ray imaging and mammography. This silicon imager is about 15 times larger in area than the latest Intel processors.

    The next step of the project is to produce wafer-scale imagers which can produce images that approach the width of the human torso. This will eliminate the need for expensive and inefficient lenses and so enable lower-cost, more sensitive and faster medical imaging systems. Very large active pixel sensors could soon be making a major impact on medical imaging by further reducing the need for the old technology of film. The UK is a World-lead in such sensors for scientific and medical applications and this is a lead that UK intends to maintain.

  • Gene therapy normalizes brain function in Parkinson’s patients

    04Jun
    Categories: Diagnostics, Imaging, News and Updates Comments: 0

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    Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans of the brains of Parkinson’s patients given an experimental gene therapy to improve muscular control showed that the treatment worked and had lasting results.

    The study was conducted by researchers from The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research and the Weill Cornell Medical Center in the US. In the study, genes for glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) were delivered into the subthalamic nucleus of the brain in a dozen Parkinson’s patients using a viral carrier. The genes were delivered to only one side of the brain to reduce risk and to better assess the treatment.

    The results from the brain scan study on the gene therapy patients show that only the motor networks were altered by the therapy. This study demonstrates that PET scanning can be a valuable marker in testing novel therapies for Parkinson’s disease.

    (Source)

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