News • Oncology
Nanozymes take on brain tumours from the inside
Researchers are developing nanozymes to improve treatment of aggressive brain tumours. The tiny particles can be activated by near-infrared light and applied directly during surgery.
Search for: "near-infrared light" - 50 articles found
News • Enhanced imaging and surgical guidance
Fluorescent bacteria light up tumors like a neon sign
A new, bacteria-based contrast agent illuminates tumors like a neon sign during surgery, enabling more precise resection and reducing the risk of recurrence.
News • Photoacoustic computed tomography
PACT: AI-assisted edge in breast imaging
A new technique called photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) offers a breast imaging alternative without the discomfort, high costs, or risk associated with the conventional evaluation methods.
News • Plasmonic nanorods
Golden eyes: restoring vision with nanoparticles
A new study suggests that gold nanoparticles — thousands of times thinner than a human hair — might one day help restore vision in people with macular degeneration and other retinal disorders.
News • Ionic liquid-carbon nanohorn complexes
Magnet-guided, laser-heated nanoparticles for precision cancer treatment
Japanese researchers have developed magnetic nanoparticles that can be directed to tumors using a magnet and then heated with a laser to destroy cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue.
News • Photoacoustic computed tomography
A 'PACT' to monitor stroke in real-time
Researchers developed a new scanning method that combines light and ultrasound to non-invasively monitor cerebrovascular changes in the early stages of an ischemic stroke in real time.
News • Accelerated bone-to-implant integration
Responsive coating could fast-track implant integration after surgery
A new type of photocurrent-responsive coating has been shown to shorten the bone-to-implant integration time after orthopaedic surgery to just two weeks.
News • Photothermal disinfection
Frying bacteria on implants with tiny gold radiators
New technology shows promise in protecting an implant against infections from resistant bacteria: By heating up small nanorods of gold with near-infrared light (NIR), the bacteria are killed.
News • Near-infrared photobiomodulation
Noninvasive laser therapy shows promise in stroke treatment
In lab models of stroke, a research team showed that laser therapy improved blood flow in the brain and decreased stroke injury by stimulating the production of nitric oxide.
News • Using portable devices
Lighting the way to noninvasive blood glucose monitoring
New research could revolutionize noninvasive monitoring of blood glucose levels (BGLs): a Japanese team developed a novel methodology to estimate BGLs from near-infrared light (NIR) measurements.
News • Diabetes management
Reducing blood sugar levels with red light
Researchers have found a surprising method to reduce blood glucose levels in a person: Shining red light on their back. This could help control diabetes without medication.
News • Molecular machines
Killing cancer cells: the 'jackhammer' approach
Using a unique new technique, US researchers hope to offer a safer and more effective alternative to current cancer treatments, reporting promising first results in mice.
News • Tissue oxygenation
Photoacoustic imaging for better diagnoses of ovarian cancer
Researchers and clinicians at Washington University in St. Louis found a way to improve diagnostic accuracy of potentially cancerous lesions in the ovaries and adnexal regions, or the fallopian tubes.
News • Parallel near-infrared interferometric spectroscopy
Brain blood flow monitoring: πNIRS for neuro-diagnostics
Monitoring the proper blood supply to the brain could be used to prevent or even treat neurological diseases. A new technique called πNIRS aims to do just that.
News • Brachytherapy side-effects
Countering skin damage from cancer radiation therapy with light
Light therapy may accelerate the healing of skin damage from radiation therapy by up to 50%, according to a recent University at Buffalo-led study.
News • Irradiation
Adult stem cells transform faster with two lasers
Researchers from the University of Johannesburg find that shining a near-infrared laser on adult stem cells derived from human body fat, makes the stem cells replicate 54% faster.
News • Trimodal approach
Combining 3 techniques to boost brain-imaging precision
Researchers report that they have developed a method to combine three brain-imaging techniques to more precisely capture the timing and location of brain responses to a stimulus. Their study is the first to combine the three widely used technologies for simultaneous imaging of brain activity. The work is reported in the journal Human Brain Mapping. The new "trimodal" approach combines…
News • Non-invasive
LUCA device is ready for better thyroid cancer screening
The EU-funded consortium Laser and Ultrasound Co-analyzer for Thyroid Nodules (LUCA) has developed a non-invasive, low-cost device that brings a new solution for thyroid cancer screening.
News • Neuroscience
A deep dive into the brain
Researchers from ETH Zurich and University of Zurich have developed a new microscopy technique that lights up the brain with high resolution imagery. This allows neuroscientists to study brain functions and ailments more closely and non-invasively.
News • Photonics21
Infrared scanner spots brain damage in babies early
A new photonics device currently in development aims to reduce unnecessary disabilities by improving the instant, real-time monitoring of newborn babies with harmless light particles.
News • From science fiction to reality
Researchers develop powerful pocket-sized imaging device
Before Wilhelm Röntgen, a mechanical engineer, discovered a new type of electromagnetic radiation in 1895, physicians could only dream of being able to see inside the body. Within a year of Röntgen’s discovery, X-rays were being used to identify tumors. Within 10 years, hospitals were using X-rays to help diagnose and treat patients. In 1972, computed tomography (CT) scans were developed. In…
News • Surgical endoscopy
Olympus to acquire Quest Photonic Devices
Olympus Corporation announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Quest Photonic Devices B.V. for up to EUR50 million including milestone payments to strengthen its surgical endoscopy capabilities. Quest offers advanced fluorescence imaging systems (FIS) for the medical field, enabling more surgical endoscopy capabilities, compared to conventional imaging technologies.
News • Delicious research
Can drinking cocoa make you smarter?
Increased consumption of flavanols – a group of molecules which occur naturally in fruit and vegetables – can increase your mental agility, according to new research. A team at the University of Birmingham has found that people given a cocoa drink containing high levels of flavanols were able to complete certain cognitive tasks more efficiently than when drinking a non-flavanol enriched-drink.
Sponsored • Product of the month
VeinViewer® - Innovation in visualization
The VeinViewer® uses harmless near-infrared (NIR) light which is directed towards the patient’s skin. Haemoglobin in the blood absorbs the NIR and the surrounding tissue reflects it back to the VeinViewer® device, where the data is processed into an image, colour is added and the image sent back to the skin to provide a real time visualization of the blood vessels and patterns up to 10mm…
News • Cervical cancer
3D imaging system accelerates cancer diagnosis
Researchers have developed a novel three-dimensional imaging system to diagnose cervical cancer faster, non-invasively and more efficiently than conventional methods.
News • Reversing incurable cause for blindness
Macular degeneration: Gene therapy restores vision
Macular degeneration is one of the major reasons for visual impairment, round the globe, close to 200 million people are affected. It damages the photoreceptors in the retina, which lose their sensitivity to light. This can lead to impaired vision or even complete blindness. Scientists at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB) together with colleagues from the German…
News • Subdermal quantum tattoo
Nano-patch stores medical information under the skin
Every year, a lack of vaccination leads to about 1.5 million preventable deaths, primarily in developing nations. One factor that makes vaccination campaigns in those nations more difficult is that there is little infrastructure for storing medical records, so there’s often no easy way to determine who needs a particular vaccine. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)…
Article • Highlights from the 30th TCT Meeting
Advancing transcatheter cardiovascular therapies
A remarkable number of studies and innovations were presented at the 30th anniversary of Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) meeting in San Diego, California. TCT 2019 will take place in San Francisco, CA between 25-29-Sep-2019. On the clinical side, the long-expected results from COAPT trial studying MitraClip device in patients with secondary mitral regurgitation and heart failure…
Article • ESC consensus statement
Intracoronary imaging advances
Interventional cardiologists have been aware of the value of intracoronary (IC) imaging in clinical practice for more than twenty years. However, recent developments and improvements in modalities and software have enabled huge strides in its range and scope for both diagnostic assessment and in percutaneous coronary interventions. Imaging options now include intravascular ultrasound (IVUS),…
Video • Drug delivery, microsurgery
Microbots show promise in tumor treatment
Targeting medical treatment to an ailing body part is a practice as old as medicine itself. A Band-Aid is placed on a skinned knee. Drops go into itchy eyes. A broken arm goes into a cast. But often what ails us is inside the body and is not so easy to reach. In such cases, a treatment like surgery or chemotherapy might be called for. A pair of researchers in Caltech's Division of Engineering and…
News • MedTech
Stroke: Faster treatment via hybrid device?
Cheap and compact instrument based on two near-infrared light techniques diagnoses poor blood flow quickly and noninvasively.
News • Brain tumor
Scorpion venom makes tumor surgery even better
A novel imaging technique that uses a synthesized form of scorpion venom to light up brain tumors has shown promise in a clinical trial. The imaging system enables neurosurgeons to better see malignant growths that often are difficult to fully eliminate.
News • Contraception
Male birth control: as easy as a layered cocktail?
For decades, women have shouldered most of the burden of contraception. However, long-term use of female birth control pills could increase the risk for side effects such as blood clots or breast cancer. Now, inspired by colorful layered cocktails, researchers have developed a medium-term, reversible male contraceptive. They report their results in the journal ACS Nano. Common forms of male…
Article • Smartphone detection
Spectrometry? There's an app for that!
Checking a lump for malignancy, finding out if food is fresh, just with your smartphone? It’s possible, according to Eindhoven University of Technology researchers in the Netherlands. Their recently presented spectrometer is small enough to insert into a smartphone. This device is not yet ready for use on a big scale, Professor Andrea Fiore, supervisor of the Eindhoven research team points out.…
News • Responsive or not?
Breast cancer: Near-infrared light shows chemo beneficiaries
A new optical imaging system developed at Columbia University uses red and near-infrared light to identify breast cancer patients who will respond to chemotherapy. The imaging system may be able to predict response to chemotherapy as early as two weeks after beginning treatment. Findings from a first pilot study of the new imaging system—a noninvasive method of measuring blood flow dynamics in…
News • Oncology
Infra-red light to deteact early signs of oesophageal cancer
Researchers at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute sprayed a dye on oesophageal tissue samples taken from people with Barrett’s oesophagus – a condition that increases the risk of developing oesophageal cancer. The dye sticks to healthy oesophageal cells but not to pre-cancerous cells. They then shone near-infrared light - which is just beyond the red colours that our eyes can normally…
News • Research
A pill could improve breast cancer diagnoses
The ongoing debate about breast cancer diagnostics has left many women confused — particularly over what age they should get mammograms and who needs treatment. An issue with current methods is that they often identify lumps but cannot conclusively pinpoint which ones are cancerous. To help resolve this uncertainty, researchers have developed a pill that could improve imaging techniques so that…
News • Technology
New way of doing ‘lab on a chip’ medical diagnostics?
Northwestern University scientists have developed the first liquid nanoscale laser. And it’s tunable in real time, meaning you can quickly and simply produce different colors, a unique and useful feature. The laser technology could lead to practical applications, such as a new form of a “lab on a chip” for medical diagnostics.
Article • Multimodal imaging
Imaging probe yields double insight
An organic dye that can light up cancer cells for two powerful imaging techniques providing complementary diagnostic information has been developed and successfully tested in mice by A*STAR researchers.
Molecular imaging
Molecular imaging, the discipline that unites molecular biology and in vivo imaging technologies to assess biological activity in the body, promises to open up ‘…an entire new universe,’ declared Dr Ralph Weissleder, of the Centre for Molecular Imaging Research at Massachusetts General Hospital, USA, in the journal Radiology. That was just one decade ago. And he was right. It has indeed…
Exploring a new universe
Molecular imaging, the discipline that unites molecular biology and in vivo imaging technologies to assess biological activity in the body, promises to open up ‘…an entire new universe,’ declared Dr Ralph Weissleder, of the Centre for Molecular Imaging Research at Massachusetts General Hospital, USA, in the journal Radiology. That was just one decade ago. And he was right. It has indeed…
Nonin's Equanox brings novel design to oximetry
What is good for the body may not be good for the mind. In an effort to repair heart damage with bypass surgery patients may experience unintended cerebral damage, including neuroligical impairment or even stroke.
Reading minds with infrared scan
Researchers at Canada's largest children's rehabilitation hospital have developed a technique that uses infrared light brain imaging to decode preference — with the goal of ultimately opening the world of choice to children who can't speak or move. Using optical brain imaging, the scientists decode preference with 80 per cent accuracy.
First OCT tissue images
A UK collaboration, led by an optical imaging company has produced its first optical coherence tomography (OCT) tissue images at a wavelength of 1 µm. Based on interferometry, OCT works by analysing near-infrared light reflected from a sample and using differences in the reflected intensities to create high-resolution images. Employing 1 µm light - as opposed to the longer wavelength…
A new imaging tool?
Mammography is the common way to detect breast cancer. But it's not perfect: it struggles to image dense glandular tissue or early-stage tumours. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers best sensivity but it is expensiv and not always specific enough. Now researchers have come up with another option: a scanner that integrates thermoacoustic and photoacoustic tomography to achieve dual-contrast…
Nanorods of gold blast holes in cancer tumours
USA — Miniscule gold 'nanorods' triggered by a laser beam can blast holes in tumour cell membranes, which then activates a complex biochemical mechanism that leads to the tumour cell to self-destruct, according to researchers at the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering in Purdue University, Idaho.
Near-infrared contrast agent reveals microcalcifications related to breast and bone cancer
Near-infrared fluorescence mammography works with rays of near-infrared (NIR) light instead of X-rays. Although this is thought to be a very promising technique, there have been no effective contrast agents.
New monitoring device for perfusion monitoring
Hutchinson's InSpectra StO2 Tissue Oxygenation Monitor - a portable device for treatment of trauma patients.
Tumor paint distinguish between cancer cells and normal tissue
Researchers at A Seattle Children's Hospital Research Institute and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center developed a tumor paint that will help surgeons see where a tumor begins and ends more precisely by illuminating the cancerous cells.
Tissue oxygenation
Continous, non-invasive tissue oxygenation and monitoring during resusciation.
