Light-Detecting Scanner , Could Lead to Medical , Breakthroughs.
A new scanner capable of detecting light deep inside
the brain could lead to new cancer treatments and
a screening method to detect Alzheimer's disease.
A new scanner capable of detecting light deep inside
the brain could lead to new cancer treatments and
a screening method to detect Alzheimer's disease.
'The Independent' reports that the device
uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to
capture dynamic changes in colors of tissue. .
The device could be used to map
neuron-stimulating fibers or monitor
light-based therapies for tumors.
We can image the distribution
of light in tissue. That’s important, Alan Jasanoff, senior author and professor at
Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
via 'The Independent'.
People who use light to stimulate or measure
tissue often don’t quite know where the light
is going, where they’re stimulating or where
the light is coming from. Our tool can
be used to address those unknowns, Alan Jasanoff, senior author and professor at
Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
via 'The Independent'.
Senior author Professor Alan Jasanoff of MIT
and his team of students designed a sensor
capable of transforming light into a magnetic signal.
Senior author Professor Alan Jasanoff of MIT
and his team of students designed a sensor
capable of transforming light into a magnetic signal.
We wanted to create a magnetic
sensor that responds to light locally,
and therefore is not subject to absorbance
or scattering. Then this light detector
can be imaged using MRI, Alan Jasanoff, senior author and professor at
Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
via 'The Independent'.
The team hopes that their work can be
used as the basis for MRI probes capable
of detecting stimuli other than light. .
The team is currently working on a similar probe designed
to detect light emitted by luciferases, glowing proteins that
could reveal whether particular genes are activated or not.
The team's device was described
in 'Nature Biomedical Engineering.'