How Two Breakthroughs May Enhance Scanning Quality

Medical scanning technology has enjoyed some significant developments over the years, enabling better diagnostics. To make the very best use of the technology, however, requires matching up the latest tech for the scans themselves with the newest and best medical image storage and sharing facilities.

This combination becomes more important as new discoveries promise significant improvements in scanning, a topical case being that of AI in diagnostics. Now, two new developments may help take scans to the next level.

Scientists from the Centre de biophysique moléculaire in Orleans, France, have announced a breakthrough concerning the use of rare Earth minerals called lanthanides. These can emit bright light in the near-infrared range when inserted into molecular complexes known as metallocoronas, potentially making them very effective for scanning.

However, until now, the only way to produce this light was exposure to harmful UV rays. Now, researchers have managed to synthesise new metallocoronas that can respond to harmless wavelengths of light.

This is the second discovery announced in the past month to potentially offer a major enhancement in the clarity of scans, improving diagnostics as a result.

Last month, it was announced that a partnership of scientists at Northwestern University in the US and Soochow University in China has developed a new camera using perovskite crystals for use in scans using nuclear medicine.

The camera made using the crystals has proved to be less expensive to make and offers clearer pictures than existing versions using cadmium zinc or sodium iodine detectors.

Both of these new developments could lead to better images and advances in diagnostics. To make the most of them, using a cloud-based system for storing and sharing enables information to be accessed by medical professionals wherever and whenever they need it.

This means that not only are many medical issues more likely to be diagnosed with better scans, but the easier access to the scans enables accurate interpretations and appropriate treatment decisions to be achieved as quickly as possible, with better patient outcomes as a result.