Lasers are not causing pain to detect early symptoms of the disease. Laser beam generating tools that do not cause pain and are easy to carry may soon replace X-rays in the diagnosis of disease by non-invasive (does not enter the body by injection or surgery).
The researchers say that the technology could be available within five years overall. The method is called Rasman spectroscopy may help find early symptoms of breast cancer, osteoporosis and tooth decomposition.
The scientists believe that these technologies will make the process of diagnosing the disease faster, cheaper and more accurate. Raman spectroscopy is the measurement of the intensity and wavelength of light scattered molecules.
The method is already used in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. For example, Raman lasers are used to measure flame characteristics. By studying how the fuel burns can minimize pollution from burning. Michael Morris, who is a professor at the University of Michigan USA Raman has been used for several years to study human bones.
During this time he used it on the bodies that are no longer alive, but he says that Raman could prove effective in patients who are still alive. "You can replace many diagnostic procedures that exist today. Magnitude advantage is that the method is non-invasive, faster than classical procedures and more accurate," he said, as quoted by the BBC.
When someone is sick, or will soon be sick, a mixture of chemicals in tissues / Kleenex (biological terms associated with cells) is somewhat different from the healthy tissue, the scientists said. Thus, the Raman spectrum changes depending on which network analyzes, according to the explanation of Professor Morris.
Raman provides a molecular fingerprint that is the composition of what is measured, "he explained.
"In times of illness, chemical composition somewhat normal or abnormal highly dependent on the disease."
Non Invasive
Diagnoses can be done in minutes and without X-rays.
"A patient's wrist just put his hand on the table then there is an optical fiber that delivers laser light that is connected by means of a kind bracelet made of silicon mounted on a patient's wrist," Professor Morris said.
"We turn on the laser and after collecting enough signal in a few minutes, we turn off the laser. Basically, it will take a few seconds to interpret the results."
In addition to bone diseases, such tools may be effective detects early tooth decay, the researchers said.
Blood sampling was probably not necessary in certain cases. For example, to determine the level of cholesterol, one only needs to steer the laser "to the part that is usually used to take the blood samples into the crook of the arm which is where the blood vessels closest to the skin," says Morris.
New Applications
Other applications can use as an alternative non-invasive Raman of mammography general is a process that uses low-dose X-rays to detect breast cancer symptoms.
Laser will "see" into the network and the distribution of different spectra emit colors reflecting differences in the properties of the network.
Researchers in the United Kingdom at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Didcot and Gloucestershire Royal Hospital have been using Raman to analyze calcifications in breast tissue that may be early symptoms of breast cancer.
"We can target calcification-calcification and decide whether they are benign or malignant," said Nicholas Stone, head of the research unit biofotonik at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital told reporters magazine Chemical and Engineering News.
"If the calcification-calcification were malignant or inclined that way, you will come back to do a biopsy. If calcification-calcification are benign, the percentage of cases about 80 to 90%, you will not be coming back to do a biopsy."
"In the UK alone, it would prevent 80,000 patients to perform additional procedures."
:.