REAL-TIME 3D IMAGES FROM INSIDE BLOOD VESSELS

Advanced imaging technology could help limit invasive surgeries

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a 1.5 mm, catheter based silicon chip that could provide real-time, 3D images from inside the heart, coronary arteries and peripheral blood vessels. The tiny device can easily circulate freely through blood vessels, allowing cardiologists to visualize blockages occluded arteries.

At the moment, similar technology can only provide a cross-sectional image from inside blood vessels, limiting the doctors scope of blockages. By integrating miniaturized electronics including ultrasound transducers with processing electronics on the tiny chip, researchers have come up with a device capable of providing high quality, 3D images from within the vascular system. The prototype is expected to undergo clinical trials with animals, and with the ultimate goal of licensing the technology of medical diagnostic firm to conduct clinical trials to obtain FDA approval.