3D color X-rays could help diagnose cancer, heart disease and more

Image courtesy of MARS Bioimaging

New Zealand Scientists Realize First-Ever 3D Color X-ray on a Human Using Technology That Can Improve Medical Diagnostics in Oncology , cardiology, neurology and orthopedics

Based on traditional black-and-white X-ray technology, the scanner incorporates the Medipix3RX sensing chip, a particle tracking technology developed for CERN's Large Hadron Collider. It was developed by the Medipix3 Collaboration, which includes CERN in Geneva and 18 other research institutions around the world.

The scanner records the energy of each photon when it collides with pixels while the shutter is open. contrast images. He then uses computer algorithms to reveal the density of different materials, such as percentages of water, calcium and fat in human tissues, says Anthony Butler, a medical radiologist who worked on the development of the scanner with his father Phil Butler, professor of physics. "The small pixels and the precise resolution of the machine's energy allowed this new imaging tool to get images that no other imaging tool can achieve." Said Phil Butler in a statement. 19659004] In preclinical animal use at universities in New Zealand, Europe and the United States, researchers were able to identify different cell lines in cancerous tissues, Anthony Butler said in a telephone interview. The scanner could also be used to non-invasively measure the arterial plaque to diagnose the risk of heart attack or stroke, as well as to track patients' progress after treatment, he added. The researchers also used the scanner to study bone diseases such as arthritis and osteoporosis.

A clinical trial of orthopedic patients and rheumatologists in New Zealand is planned for the coming months. According to CERN, the images clearly show the difference between bone, muscle and cartilage, but also the position and size of cancerous tumors, for example.

"This Color X-Ray Imaging Technique Could Produce Clearer, More Accurate Images" The technology is marketed by the New Zealand company MARS Bioimaging, launched by the Universities of Canterbury and Otago , who helped develop the scanner. MARS has a prototype human system running in New Zealand. The scanner has been in development for about ten years.

"There is no point in doing science," said Anthony Butler. "You have to produce a product that people can use."

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