3D Imaging Technology To Help Diagnosis Of Heart Ailments

Surgery is a controlled injury that is what doctors say many times. In such a scenario, technology comes to the rescue of both doctors and patients. Researchers at Purdue University have developed an imaging technique which can reveal a three dimensional structure of plaques lining arteries.

Researcher Ji-Xin Cheng, an associate professor of biomedical engineering and chemistry, has developed a transducer which detects ultrasound signals. The ultrasound signals are generated by body cells which are excited by a nanosecond laser operating in an infrared signal. Purdue researchers have worked upon the assumption that a body tissue can reflect an ultrasound signal when light is absorbed by the chemicals present in molecules. The “photo acoustic” signal thus emitted can be used for a three dimensional imaging of the body tissue. It would no longer be required to cut the cross section of arteries and then to obtain a 3D view.
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It should be noted that the ultrasound signals which are emitted from tissues and molecules are the ones which are not absorbed by blood cells. In the process, the molecules though undergo a heat cycle however; the use of nanosecond laser in this experiment prevents overheating of tissues. The conventional imaging technologies prevent us from getting a detailed 3D imaging of tissues without damaging them.

The researchers are now working on making the device compatible i.e.; reducing its size of the device. Doing so would mean that surgeons would be able to put an endoscope directly in the blood vessels. This would improve the images to a great extent. Not only we will be able to have good, clearer and descriptive images but we would be able to observe layers of tissues one above the other.

The technique is actually based on coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering commonly called as CARS. CARS is a little different concept that the usual Raman Spectroscopy. CARS employ exciting many photons at a time and creating a wave of coherent vibrations. While the usual Raman spectroscopy uses spontaneous waves. This leaves CARS as a better option for this experiment owing to the strong signals it emits.

The technology is expected to be beneficial for diagnosing cardiovascular diseases. Prof. Cheng has also detected carbon-Hydrogen bonds in the lipids in the arterial walls which is most probably the cause of heart diseases. His findings would be published in June 17 issue of Physical Review Letters. The new laser technique would help in an easy detection of heart ailments thus saving many lives.

Source: New imaging tech promising for diagnosing cardiovascular disease, diabetes