Researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington received about $1.7M from the National Institutes of Health to develop imaging technology that allows doctors to get a clearer picture of structures deep inside the human body.<\/p>\n
The technology resulting from the four-year project could help doctors better see how blood vessels are impacted by cancer treatment, for example, as well as have industrial applications.<\/p>\n
Medical professionals currently have several different imaging options available to them, including CT scans, MRIs and X-rays, but each has its limits.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s always something making your image become blurred,\u201d said professor Baohong Yuan who is leading the research. \u201cWe always think about new ways to overcome this limit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yuan\u2019s lab will work to combine ultrasound with light and nanoparticles to generate images of areas deep inside the body in greater detail.<\/p>\n
Researchers will use nanoparticles that glow after absorbing laser light from outside the body. The nanoparticles only glow in the small area in which the ultrasound is focused. The technology then gathers information from the signals given off by the glowing particles.<\/p>\n
When the ultrasound is moved around, signals will be collected from the glowing particles from different angles and locations. Next, a computer program will turn the information gained into a 3D picture of the area of focus.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur technological goal is trying to push the limit of resolution as high as possible to be able to see structure as clear as possible in deep tissue,\u201d Yuan said.<\/p>\n
McKinnon Rice is the health reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Her position is supported by a grant from Texas Health Resources. Contact her at mckinnon.rice@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n