Photonics Spectra: MRI This is the syndication feed for Photonics Spectra: MRI. https://www.photonics.com/Splash.aspx?Tag=MRI Thu, 28 Mar 2024 13:35:46 GMT Wed, 01 Jun 2022 14:53:37 GMT 1800 Optical Fiber Sensors Enable New Biomedical Devices
The biomedical community recognized the advantages of optical fibers long ago, accepting them even before their adoption for long-haul telecommunications1. Early research on the light-guiding properties of fibers in the late 1920s was aimed at applications in medical imaging. The first clad optical fiber was drawn on December 8, 1956, by Larry Curtis (Figure 1), a graduate student under Basil Hirschowitz at the University of Michigan. The technology was used in a multifiber bundle for a fiber endoscope, which Hirschowitz first tested on himself2.


Figure 1. Larry Curtis of the University of Michigan draws the first optical clad fiber by the rod-in-tube method, for use in a medical endoscope. Courtesy of Abraham Katzir.
Optical...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Optical_Fiber_Sensors_Enable_New_Biomedical/p5/a68066 A68066 Wed, 01 Jun 2022 14:53:37 GMT
Image Reconstruction Algorithm Improves Breast Cancer Detection
Researchers from Dartmouth College, Beijing University of Technology, and the University of Birmingham have developed an image reconstruction approach that could contribute to better breast cancer detection. The approach uses a deep learning algorithm to overcome a major hurdle in multimodality imaging by allowing images to be recovered in real time

The team’s algorithm, Z-Net, works with an imaging platform that combines optical spectral information with contrast-free MRI.

“The near infrared spectral tomography (NIRST) and MRI imaging platform we developed has shown promise, but the time and effort involved in image reconstruction has prevented it from being translated into the day-to-day clinical workflow,”...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Image_Reconstruction_Algorithm_Improves_Breast/p5/a67832 A67832 Fri, 04 Mar 2022 07:00:00 GMT
Pettigrew Elected into American Academy of Arts & Sciences
Roderic I. Pettigrew, the Robert A. Welch Professor in the Texas A&M University College of Medicine and professor of biomedical engineering in the College of Engineering, has been elected into the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.


Dr. Roderic Pettigrew will be inducted into the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in Cambridge, Mass., on Friday, Oct. 9. Courtesy of Michael Starghill, Texas A&M.
The academy, which was founded in 1780 by John Adams, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin to recognize remarkable people working to advance the public good, categorizes members into five classes. However, Texas A&M notes that Pettigrew has joined under the prestigious new interclass category,...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Pettigrew_Elected_into_American_Academy_of_Arts_/p5/a65779 A65779 Wed, 13 May 2020 08:17:42 GMT
Mouse Kidney Image Wins Biomed Central Photo Competition
An image of a mouse kidney, entitled “Kidney Rainbow,” is the winner of the second annual Biomed Central (BMC) “Research in Progress” photo competition. From microscopy images to researchers at work, this year’s competition received more than 350 submissions reflecting the innovative spirit, curiosity, and integrity of researchers around the world.

The winning image by Nian Wang at the Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University, was obtained by diffusion tensor imaging, an MRI-based imaging technique. The bright neon colors represent the orientation of different tubules, which collect filtrate from blood passing through the kidney and process it into urine.

Higher-order diffusion magnetic...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Mouse_Kidney_Image_Wins_Biomed_Central_Photo/p5/a64245 A64245 Wed, 19 Dec 2018 08:00:00 GMT
3D Imaging Aids Life Sciences
While human bodies and single cells are three-dimensional, in the past, imaging of them often was not. Data might be captured in two-dimensional slices during a computed tomography, magnetic resonance, ultrasound or even microscope study. But the interpretation of how those 2D images related to real-world medical and life science structures sometimes required specialized expertise. Now, advances in display-related technology and software are changing that, with benefits to medicine and the biosciences ranging from education to operation planning.

Some of those advances borrow from fields far removed from the life sciences. That was the case for Franz Fellner, a professor of radiology and head of the Central Radiology Institute at...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/3D_Imaging_Aids_Life_Sciences/p5/a61940 A61940 Mon, 17 Apr 2017 10:32:18 GMT
Global Helium Market Swings to Oversupply
IHS Markit researchers expect electronics manufacturers in China, South Korea and Taiwan to drive future helium demand. Semiconductor manufacturing, flat-panel display manufacturing, and optical-fiber manufacturing are all significant consumers of helium in Asian markets.

North America is the largest...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Global_Helium_Market_Swings_to_Oversupply/p5/a61308 A61308 Tue, 08 Nov 2016 09:27:56 GMT
Image Processing Interprets the Modern World
From the moment we wake up and open our eyes, we are processing images. It is this image processing that enables us to successfully complete tasks from the mundane to those that are undertaken only by the gifted professionals trained to make split-second decisions — from the pro basketball player to the jet fighter pilot.

This image processing takes place in arguably the most complex and powerful computing device known to man — the human brain. But as well as a sophisticated processing center, the human brain is also versatile and creative and so has engineered technologies capable of performing all kinds of image processing tasks for us.

From the everyday snapping of camera phones, as well as image enhancement via...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Image_Processing_Interprets_the_Modern_World/p5/a60842 A60842 Wed, 29 Jun 2016 11:49:08 GMT
Heat from Laser Ablation May Treat Cancer Safely, Effectively
A novel fusion-imaging technique uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to guide the insertion of a laser fiber into a cancerous tumor. The laser, once inserted, applies heat to the cancerous tissue, destroying it. This technique, known as MRI-guided focal laser ablation, could improve treatment options and outcomes for men with prostate cancer.

An illustration of how laser ablation is used to treat prostate cancer. Courtesy of UCLA.
In a Phase 1 study, researchers at University of California Los Angeles treated prostate cancer patients using vascular targeted photodynamic (VTP) hemiablation. Light energy, fiber number, and WST11 dose were escalated to identify optimal dosing parameters. After treatment the men were evaluated by...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Heat_from_Laser_Ablation_May_Treat_Cancer_Safely/p5/a60795 A60795 Thu, 16 Jun 2016 08:36:58 GMT
Antenna-free THz Detector Uses Nanotube Thin Films
Carbon nanotube-based detectors that reveal light in the terahertz frequency range without cooling could lead to significant improvements in medical imaging, airport screening and food inspection.

A team from Sandia National Labs has begun developing the detectors in collaboration with Rice University and the Tokyo Institute of Technology.


A newly developed carbon nanotube-based terahertz detector shows potential for imaging improvements. Courtesy of Sandia National Labs.
“The photonic energy in the terahertz range is much smaller than for visible light, and we simply don’t have a lot of materials to absorb that light efficiently and convert it into an electronic signal,” said François...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Antenna-free_THz_Detector_Uses_Nanotube_Thin_Films/p5/a56321 A56321 Fri, 13 Jun 2014 00:00:00 GMT
MRI-guided Laser an Alternative to Epilepsy Surgery
Many patients suffering from certain types of epilepsy find little relief or control by way of medications. Now there may be a new solution.

A team from Emory University School of Medicine has developed an MRI-guided, minimally invasive laser procedure for patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). And they said their study proves that this real-time procedure, called magnetic-resonance-guided stereotactic laser amygdalohippocampectomy (SLAH), is safe and effective.

The study, conducted on 13 adult patients with MTLE whose seizures have not responded to antiepileptic drug treatments, mapped the mesial temporal lobe of the brain, including the amygdalohippocampal complex where MTLE seizures occur.

Researchers...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/MRI-guided_Laser_an_Alternative_to_Epilepsy/p5/a56279 A56279 Wed, 04 Jun 2014 00:00:00 GMT
Optical Scanner Shines New Light on Brain
A new generation of optical neuroimaging touts effectiveness comparable to MRI and PET technologies, but has the ability to see and study areas of the brain that the others cannot.

Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) is a new brain scanning technology developed by a team at the Washington University School of Medicine. It tracks a person’s brain activity using dozens of tiny LEDs on their head.

Unlike MRI and PET methods, DOT avoids radiation exposure, allowing for multiple scans to be performed over time to monitor patients’ progress during treatment of brain injuries, developmental disorders and neurodegenerative disorders.

A research participant wears the DOT device, used to image the brain. Courtesy of Tim...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Optical_Scanner_Shines_New_Light_on_Brain/p5/a56229 A56229 Wed, 21 May 2014 00:00:00 GMT
Optical Brain Monitoring for Better Stroke Care
Advanced technology and simple body positioning could be key in providing acute stroke patients with more effective, individualized treatment in real time.

A team from the University of Pennsylvania has developed a new optical device that can noninvasively and continuously monitor cerebral blood flow (CBF) in stroke patients to gauge how their body positioning could impact blood flow to the brain.

When stroke patients are first admitted to the hospital, they typically are kept flat for 24 hours to increase CBF in the brain regions surrounding the damaged tissue. And while this position does help most stroke patients, the new device has enabled the researchers to discover that, for 29 percent of patients, an elevated rather than...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Optical_Brain_Monitoring_for_Better_Stroke_Care/p5/a55983 A55983 Thu, 20 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMT
Replacing Mammography with Light and Ultrasound
A new device called a photoacoustic mammoscope combines infrared light and ultrasound to create 3-D maps of the breast. Its creators hope that it could someday replace the x-rays used in traditional mammography for routine breast cancer screenings.

Breast cancer is one of the most common forms of the disease and a leading cause of death among women worldwide. Traditional mammography, which uses x-rays, is routinely used to screen women.

But a new imaging tool developed at the University of Twente might one day help detect breast cancer early, when it is most treatable. The photoacoustic breast mammoscope uses a combination of infrared light and ultrasound to create 3-D maps.

In the new technique, infrared light is...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Replacing_Mammography_with_Light_and_Ultrasound/p5/a55145 A55145 Thu, 24 Oct 2013 00:00:00 GMT
IRSC to Establish Lasers and Fiber Optics Center
Under a $2.9 million grant from the National Science Foundation, Indian River State College (IRSC) will establish a regional center to meet a growing need for trained laser and fiber optics technicians.

Workforce projections have identified a national need for more than 1500 of these very specialized technicians, the college said, while the current output of US colleges is about 350 technicians a year. Laser and fiber optics (LFO) technicians repair and maintain equipment containing lasers or fiber optic sensors, including medical equipment such as MRI machines, Internet and telephone processing systems, and industrial equipment.

Dr. Chrys Panayiotou (at right, holding spray can), Indian River State College professor of...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/IRSC_to_Establish_Lasers_and_Fiber_Optics_Center/p5/a54578 A54578 Tue, 06 Aug 2013 00:00:00 GMT
FAMOS aims to make OCT light sources more compact
Optical coherence tomography light sources will shrink to one-fifth the size of conventional devices with the help of a tapered laser being developed by the European Union project FAMOS (Functional Anatomical Molecular Optical Screening).

Seventeen partners have joined forces to bring OCT – a key technology displaying structures located a few millimeters inside tissue – to the forefront. OCT requires white laser light that emerges when a special glass fiber is irradiated with a femtosecond laser. As these lasers generate heat, they must be water-cooled, making the equipment bulky and difficult to transport.

The FAMOS project will develop a tapered laser combining excellent beam quality with very high output power...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/FAMOS_aims_to_make_OCT_light_sources_more_compact/p5/a54069 A54069 Sat, 01 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMT
FAMOS aims to make OCT light sources more compact
OCT light sources will shrink to one-fifth the size of conventional devices with the help of a tapered laser being developed by the European Union project FAMOS (Functional Anatomical Molecular Optical Screening).

Seventeen partners have joined forces under the FAMOS project to bring OCT – a key technology displaying structures located a few millimeters inside the tissue – to the forefront. The approach pursued for OCT requires white laser light that emerges when a special glass fiber is irradiated with a femtosecond laser. As these lasers generate heat, they must be cooled with water, making the equipment needed for operation bulky and difficult to transport.

The FAMOS project will develop a tapered laser combining...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/FAMOS_aims_to_make_OCT_light_sources_more_compact/p5/a54095 A54095 Sat, 01 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMT
FAMOS Aims to Make OCT Light Sources More Compact
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) light sources will shrink to one-fifth the size of conventional devices with the help of a tapered laser being developed by the European Union project FAMOS (Functional Anatomical Molecular Optical Screening).

Seventeen partners have joined forces under the FAMOS project to bring OCT — a key technology displaying structures located a few millimeters inside the tissue — to the forefront. The approach pursued for OCT requires white laser light that emerges when a special glass fiber is irradiated with a femtosecond laser. As these lasers generate heat, they must be cooled with water, making the equipment needed for operation bulky and difficult to transport.

FAMOS — a four-year...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/FAMOS_Aims_to_Make_OCT_Light_Sources_More_Compact/p5/a53407 A53407 Tue, 26 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT
Endoscope Prototype Is Small as a Human Hair
Some patients dread the endoscope more than the potential diagnosis — but a new prototype is less scary: It's as small as a human hair, and it happens to deliver resolution four times better than previous devices of similar design. The instrument could enable new methods in diverse fields ranging from brain studies to early cancer detection.

The micro-endoscope, developed under the direction of Stanford University electrical engineering professor Joseph Kahn, can resolve objects about 2.5 µm in size, with a resolution of 0.3 µm within reach. By comparison, today’s high-resolution endoscopes can resolve objects only to about 10 µm.

Kahn’s work on endoscopy began two years ago when he and...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Endoscope_Prototype_Is_Small_as_a_Human_Hair/p5/a53352 A53352 Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT
Laser Trapping Faux Atoms Creates ‘Super MRI’ Method
A new technique, similar to the MRI but with a much higher resolution and sensitivity, uses artificial atoms to scan individual cells. The findings could revolutionize the field of medical imaging.

Researchers from the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO), in collaboration with the Spanish National Research Council and Macquarie University in Australia, created the “super MRI” method using artificial atoms — diamond nanoparticles doped with nitrogen impurity — to probe very weak magnetic fields such as those generated in some biological molecules.

Conventional MRI techniques register the magnetic fields of atomic nuclei in our bodies, which have been previously excited by an external electromagnetic...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Laser_Trapping_Faux_Atoms_Creates_Super_MRI/p5/a53030 A53030 Tue, 12 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT
Light-Activated Hydrogel Repairs Cartilage
Runners and knee pain sufferers, take heed. A new squishy biomaterial called a hydrogel could help repair damaged cartilage when activated with light, giving those achy joints some relief.

The Johns Hopkins University hydrogel scaffolding, when implanted into the holes in injured cartilage, can jump-start cartilage growth while discouraging cells from making scar tissue, according to results from a 15-patient study. The proof-of-concept study suggests that the light-activated hydrogel could be a versatile, safe way to enhance traditional cartilage repair, and could pave the way for larger trials of the biomaterial’s safety and effectiveness, the tissue engineers said.

“Our pilot study indicates that the new implant...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Light-Activated_Hydrogel_Repairs_Cartilage/p5/a52790 A52790 Tue, 15 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT