Innovations in scanning technology often couched in terms of
their potential for real impact ; a better PET scanner or MRI machine is
certainly nice, but it is limited by the risks of radiation exposure or cost of
superconducting magnets platforms . Thus , physicians and researchers have
longed for a way to collect some information cheaply and without adding
additional risks to the patient . Optical scanners - such as plain old safe
infrared light - have made progress towards this goal for some time , but
this week Nature published the findings suggest the technology could eventually
be ready for the big time.
Where older versions of the technology were limited to small
sections of brain imaging , this new Diffuse Optical Tomography (DOT) technique
can be seen two-thirds of the surface of the brain at once . This means that it
can resolve images of multiple regional events such as language processing or
introspection , it will make it useful for brain and high-level
research . Most important for the doctors is that the optical imaging uses only
medically safe near-infrared light and some very sensitive detectors . [Doi:
10.1038/nphoton.2014.107 - « Mapping distributed brain function and networks
with diffuse optical tomography " ]
On the other hand , DOT scans detect oxygenation monitoring
for changes in color and intensity of light of low intensity rays shone
directly into your noggin . Senior study author Joseph Culver compared the
process to see embarrassment in a rush of blood to the cheeks - though in this
case , the " cheeks " are the lobes of the brain inside the skull ,
and your " embarrassment " could be anything from complete lust in
complex logical thinking.
Penetrating the head with light may sound risky, but the machine
use non-ionizing radiation DOT is theoretically capable of causing damage -
which is more than you can say for scanning PET. Scans PET involves injecting a
patient with radioactive isotopes that can monitor traffic through the body ;
is a calculated risk , and often avoided because the potential harm outweighs
the possible help.
The existing scanning technologies have very high fidelity ,
but practical problems undercut their use in the real world .
The existing scanning technologies have very high fidelity ,
but practical problems undercut their use in the real world . DOT technology could change this decision tree , however.
Although it is bulky and today , the platform is specifically meant for
portability , price and ease of use . It is supposed to be installed by the
bedside of the patient scans
automatically conveyed to a central server cluster patient monitoring . At
least , having a scan available DOT could dramatically change the types of
cost- benefit analysis that focused medicine for long period. The DOT technology
take off, physicians should become concerned that kill their patients as part
of the diagnostic process , and the ability to see inside the brain will not be
locked behind the pay-wall of supercooled , super - expensive magnets .
On the other hand , DOT imaging continues to lag behind the
older technicians in many ways . Especially , now can see only about one
centimeter in the brain - it allows you to cover most of the important higher
brain functions , but leaves the most ancient internal structures unnoticed .
Moreover , the resolutions in space and time have not yet reached parity ,
which means that at present DOT scans will be more useful for monitoring brain
activity on a larger scale . Also , currently have no idea how much cheaper
could actually end up being , but given the relatively simple technology used
in a DOT scanner there is certainly potential for huge price reduction.
If researchers can prove that there is a viable market for
biomedical their invention , however , expect these performance numbers to
spike dramatically. Currently what is proposed for use in children or people
with implants - people who can not get conventional scans as easily as most of
us . Still, with all the potential advantages of cost and security , long-term
goals of the team should be much higher.