Revolutionary 3D Medical Scan Lets Doctors See Inside the Body in Colour

Discover RUS-PAT, a new 3D medical scan creating full-colour images of the body. This breakthrough combines ultrasound and photoacoustic tech. Learn how it could help find cancer.

Scientists have created a new kind of medical scan that lets doctors view the inside of the human body in full colour and three-dimensional detail. This technique was developed by researchers at Caltech and the University of Southern California. It not only shows the shape of soft tissues but also how blood vessels are working. It has already been tested on different parts of the body and could help doctors find breast cancer more effectively, track nerve damage from diabetes, and study the brain.

The research was published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering. 

Medical Imaging Tools

Many existing medical imaging tools have their own limitations. Ultrasounds are fast, affordable, and widely used, but they mainly provide flat, two-dimensional images with limited detail. Another technique called photoacoustic imaging uses short pulses of laser light. When the light is absorbed by molecules in the body, it creates small sound waves that can be detected. This allows doctors to see blood vessels in colour and monitor blood flow, but it doesn’t clearly show the surrounding tissues.

Other imaging methods, like CT and MRI scans, can provide detailed images, but they often come with downsides. These can include exposure to radiation, the need for special dye, higher cost, or longer scan times.

RUS-PAT Method

To address these issues, the research team used ultrasound imaging with photoacoustic imaging into one system. The new method, named RUS-PAT, uses the best parts of both technologies. Ultrasound gives clear structural images, while photoacoustic imaging helps visualise how blood and oxygen move through the body.

Instead of using many sensors, which would make the system big and costly, the researchers made a simpler setup. A small number of curved detectors rotate around the body that capture data from all sides. This creates a detailed 3D image without making the equipment too large or expensive.

Advanced Techniques

The scan can reach depths of about four centimetres and takes less than a minute to complete. Early tests on volunteers and patients have already shown promising results, and the technology is now moving towards broader use in medical settings.

Since this scan shows both the structure of the body and blood activity at the same time, it could help doctors find tumours more accurately, check nerve health and blood flow in diabetic patients, and look at brain structure along with blood movement. Researchers believe this could become an important tool in everyday medical practice.