New Body Scanning Method in the Works

Texas A&M University Mathematics Professor Peter Kuchment announces that he is working on a new way of scanning the human body, in a process that could have applications in medicine and even security. Discovering what's inside people's bodies without having to actually cut them open was hailed as one of the main advancements of medicine a long time ago, and currently a host of techniques for doing so exist. But Kuchment is seeking to revolutionize this field of research yet again, by using advanced mathematical techniques and models.

Among the existing medical imaging technologies, the X-ray scans, computerized tomography (CT) scans, ultrasound imaging, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) are the most well-known. But the leading researcher on the new investigation is planning to develop a method of detecting cancer and many other diseases faster and more efficiently, as well as with greater accuracy. What most people don't know is that all existing technologies rely on highly complex mathematical algorithms to produce their images. The instruments themselves only produce vast amounts of data, but they do not yield images.

These data are transferred through the algorithms, which in the end manage to convert all information into pictures that doctors can understand, decipher, and base decisions upon. “Various medical imaging methods work in this way. But besides X-rays, we can also use ultrasound, light, electrical currents, microwaves, etc. Instead of one beam or wave, we use a large number of them,” Kuchment explains. He also reveals that he is conducting his work with funding secured under a US National Science Foundation (NSF) grant.

“Safety, cost, contrast and resolution are some of the criteria to select good imaging methods. But none of the currently available methods is perfect and they all have limitations,” the professor goes on to say. He believes that the future lies with “hybrid medical imaging methods.” One example that he shares in this regard is an electromagnetic-ultrasound wave combination called photoacoustic imaging.

“Microwave or a laser beam can give you perfect contrast so you can easily tell the difference between a tumor and healthy tissue, but you cannot resolve small details. Ultrasound, on the other hand, can show small things, but it cannot tell the differences well,” he clarifies. At this point, the expert is working hard on developing the algorithms that will make it possible for these types of data to be translated into medical images.