Practical Applications: Medical Imaging
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Lasers and LEDs are good for a lot more than Pink
Floyd laser light shows or tormenting your cat with that red dot that can never
be caught. Lasers and LEDs can also be used to save lives.
From X-Rays to MRIs to CT scans, light has long
been a tool of the medical profession for seeing inside the body and diagnosing
illnesses. Increasingly powerful and inexpensive computers, as well as the
introduction of plastic lenses and the accessibility of low-cost optics
systems, ensures that we will see this trend continue paralleling new
breakthroughs in the field.
In the recent news, lasers have been used to
measure brain waves to determine pain response. Similarly, they’re being used
for previously painful cervical examinations for women, reducing discomfort and
examination length. Lasers are also starting to replace the x-rays
traditionally used in mammography.
Cancer cells are far easier to detect and measure
using laser technology. Where melanomas used to be measured with traditional
methods (by a doctor’s eyesight), they are now measured much more accurately
using lasers. This helps specialists monitor melanoma growth rates and respond
more appropriately with particular treatments.
Lasers are also used in optical coherence
tomography and can give high-resolution (on the order of microns),
cross-sectional, and three-dimensional images of biological tissue in real
time. Ophthalmologists use this technology to see a cross section of the cornea
in order to diagnose retinal disease and glaucoma.
X-rays, which have previously been enormous and
prohibitively expensive, are shrinking, getting small enough to fit on the back
of a small truck. This adaptation alone promises to improve response time, help
medical professionals find tumors earlier in underserved populations, study
extremely fast reactions that occur too rapidly for observation with
conventional x-rays, or detect nuclear materials concealed within a shielded
container.
All of these add to illustrate how the changing
field of lenses and light is an exciting and flourishing industry, changing and
growing daily.
Contact us about our custom optical systems, which
include projections, LED, laser illuminations and imaging systems. We would be
happy to discuss how our company can benefit yours. E-mail us at info@greenlightoptics.com or give us a call at 513.247.9777.
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