Here's a bit of news you probably weren't expecting to hear today: After more than 100 years of X-rays being flat and monochrome, they may very soon finally take the leap into the 21st Century and start being displayed as full-color 3D models.
Phil and Anthony Butler, father and son scientists from the universities of New Zealand's Canterbury and Otago have created the world's first ever 3D color medical scanner. They named it the MARS spectral X-ray scanner, and it is able to capture internal images of both bone as well as all of its surrounding tissue.
According to Anthony Butler, "X-ray spectral information allows health professionals to measure the different components of body parts such as fat, water, calcium, and disease markers," and that "traditional black-and-white X-rays only allow measurement of the density and shape of an object."
As you can see from the video below, the scanner will also allow doctors to see the inner structure of a target area layer by layer:
Whereas regular X-rays use film or a sensor to record radiation levels, the MARS scanner actually measures the whole X-ray spectrum, and even goes as far as to detect and count the many particles as they collide with the pixels. This means that the MARS scanner works in a similar way to a camera, providing an HD image that is in color and fully 3D.
The technology used in the MARS scanner comes straight from CERN's Large Hadron Collider, which is the biggest and most powerful particle accelerator in the world. In fact, a chip which was designed for particle detection and imaging in the collider, known as Medipix3, was actually adapted by Phil and Anthony Butler's team so that it could be used in the MARS scanner.
According to Phil Butler, "this technology sets the machine apart diagnostically because its small pixels and accurate energy resolution mean that this new imaging tool is able to get images that no other imaging tool can achieve."
While the MARS scanner has been under development for close to ten years, clinical trials have only begun very recently. However, all results so far are showing that the MARS scanner will very likely become one of the medical community's most indispensable tools in the near future.
"So far researchers have been using a small version of the MARS scanner to study cancer, bone, and joint health, and vascular diseases that cause heart attacks and strokes," Butler said. "In all of these studies, promising early results suggest that when spectral imaging is routinely used in clinics it will enable more accurate diagnosis and personalization of treatment."
Don't forget to share this exciting news with your friends and family, too!
Source: mnn
Images: marsbioimaging
Related Articles:
Bone Spurs: What They are and How to Treat Them
Warning! Get Your Flu Shot Now Before It's Too Late...
Learn why you should get your flu shot while it's still pretty hot outside.
Viagra May Hold the Key to Preventing Colorectal Cancer...
A new study shows that Viagra may be able to help prevent the onset of colorectal cancer. Find out all about it here.
Using These 25 Medical Terms Will Impress Your Doctor
Use these 25 medical terms to impress your doctor next time you're feeling under the weather.
Researchers Have Managed to Actually Reverse Dementia...
Dementia doesn't yet have a cure, but the world is a step closer to having one after researchers managed to reverse the illness in mice. Read on to learn more.
5 World-Changing Medical Advances From the Past Decade
Perhaps the most important technological advancements are those related to healthcare. Here are 5 such incredible medical breakthroughs from the past decade.
14 Cool and Astonishing X-Ray Images Explained
If you think the human body is fascinating, but also very weird, wait until you see these 14 X-Rays
Your Voice is as Unique As Your Fingerprints
This fascinating video explains how this unique characteristic of humans works, and what makes our voices unique.
A Tunnel Built by a Swarm of Robots - Jaw-Dropping!
Imagine a swarm of robots attacking a mountain and smashing it to pieces...
These Fire Tricks Will Wow You, But Don't Try Them!
These fire tricks are incredible to look at, but please don't try this at home...
INTERACTIVE: A Guide to the Workings of the Human Body
The human body is the most complex machine known to man, and the amount of things it has to do to keep us alive is incredible. View this interactive guide now.
WHY is Sugar So Devilishy Addictive?
There seems to be a fascinating scientific explanation for why our will power is weak when it comes to sugar!
24 Confusing Optical Illusions Explained - Fascinating!
How do our eyes fool the brain? Let's find out as a neuroscientist explains the truth behind the most confusing optical illusions.
Are Underwater Turbines the Answer to Our Energy Question?
One of the most promising technologies in the renewable energy market is the ocean. Learn all about it.
These Optical Illusions Will Shock Your Mind!
Optical illusions create miscommunication between our eyes and brain making, us see things that are not really there or not see things that are right in front of us. See for yourself.
12 Earliest Versions of Tech Inventions We Use Every Day
Witness the evolution of 11 popular devices we use all the time by looking at how they all started...
What is Your Consciousness? A Remarkable Video...
This video by Ted-ed searches to explain the origin of consciousness as well as what is consciousness.
Guide: All About the Gut-Brain Connection in Your Body
it's becoming increasingly clear just how influential our tiny gut microbes are in shaping our mood and even our overall health.
When Under a Microscope, Even Ordinary Things Seem Alien
Have you ever given any thought to what every day things look like under a microscope? Some of these images are truly beautiful - see for yourself in the images below.
How Your Eye Came to Be the Color It Is...
Why do we have different-colored eyes, and what does it mean?
What’s it Like Using a 115-Inch TV?!
This colossal 115-Inch TV will transform your viewing experience forever.
7 Exciting Physics Tricks You Have to See!
Watch these seven remarkable physics tricks in this exciting and fun video.
Scientists Develop Wrap That Determines if Food is Spoiled
Scientists at MIT have developed a biodegradable plastic-like wrap that changes color when food goes bad. Find out more…
Toilets: The Greatest Medical Advancement in Human History
While toilets make some people laugh, they are actually a deadly serious medical advancement. This video explains what toilets mean to civilization.
Experience the True Scale of Heavenly Bodies
Witness the true scale of planets, stars and galaxies in this incredible video that sheds light on size in our universe.
10 Classic Paradoxes fom Philosophy, Math, and Physics
in every sphere of human knowledge, we’re bound to run into inconsistencies. That’s how fascinating paradoxes like these are born.
This South African Plant May be the New Cannabis
Is this plant the new cannabis? What will the woolly umbrella plant do for medicine?
The Curious Science of Tricking Your Taste Buds
Did you know you could confuse your sense of taste? Find out how!
6 Weird and Creepy Medical Tools of the Past
After seeing these weird and creepy medical devices of the past, you’ll be thankful you live in the 21st century. Take a look for yourself.
17 Incredible Eye Facts You Have To See To Believe
They say the eyes are the window to the soul, and they also happen to be our windows to the world. Here are 17 insanely fascinating facts about eyes.
What Does the Appendix Actually DO?
Dr. Berg explains, in this video, all about the appendix and what it actually does in our body.
How Can You Recognize a Fake Gadget Before Buying It?
More often than not, you're almost unable to recognize them. So, before purchasing the product you want to have, bear in mind the following tips:
5 Puzzling Mysteries That Science Finally Managed to Solve
These weird occurrences have puzzled humanity for decades, if not centuries. Finally, scientists solved them & the solutions are exciting...
These Inventions Prove the Middle Ages Were Not So “Dark”
These groundbreaking inventions prove the Middle Ages were not so “dark,” after all!
10 Real-Life Technologies That Science Fiction Foretold
Sometimes even the wildest science-fiction predictions about the future come true.
19 Things to AVOID to Make Your Phone Live Longer
19 common mistakes we all make, that make our phones age quicker.
Doctors Make History With First Whole Eye Transplant
Surgeons in New York have performed the world’s first transplant of an entire human eye!
Erecting a Behemoth: Installation of an Offshore Oilrig
How do they install an offshore oilrig? This video will show you, step by step, how it is done.
The Oldest Medicines That Have Stood the Test of Time
Learn about some fascinating old medicine and general healing practices that have survived for thousands of years.
These 11 Brain Facts Are Enough to Boggle Your Mind
When you consider the sheer complexity of the human brain, it's difficult to wrap your head around it. Learn these 11 fascinating facts about the human brain.
You Won't Believe That These Things Exist in Japan...
If there's one place on this planet that well and truly at the forefront of modern technology, it has got to be Japan, as these inventions prove...
6 Remarkable Yet Overlooked Minds That Shaped Our World
These underappreciated geniuses deserve more recognition.
13 Incredible ROOF INNOVATIONS For Your House
Keep the roof of your house safe with these incredibly useful inventions.
19 Everyday Items That Started as Military Inventions
Look around your home, and you’ll surely find a handful of these items that were originally developed for the armed forces.
9 UNBELIEVABLE Ice Science Tricks That'l Amaze You
Prepare to be amazed as ice takes center stage in these mind-boggling and unconventional science experiments.
These Experiments Remind Us Water Isn't Just For Drinking
This video will make you stop and think for a second the next time you're having a glass of water as you remember the brightly colored experiments that this video shows us you can do with water
Wow! Who Knew That Jupiter Was So Mesmerizing?
Take a look at Jupiter like you've never seen it before!
The History of Our Planet in One Beautiful Spiral...
This beautiful infographic offers us a remarkable story – the history of Planet Earth.