AN ENHANCED CAMERA - THE ADVANCED ENDOSCOPE

Hello guys, 

   Now we are going through this article is about "camera that pictures through homo sapiens".

We all know that X-Ray is one of this kind that provides images of bones.But this case is different.

   We can actually see through structures inside the human body, detecting light sources behind as much as 20 centimetres (7.9 inches) of bodily tissue.

  Since the darkness persists inside the human body, an endoscope shines a light to illuminate the image. Most of those light particles, or photons, scatter — although some scatter less than others — while others escape straight through the tissue. Experts call those slightly scattering particles "snake photons".

  The University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University in the UK designed a prototype to work with endoscopes that can detect both of these types of photons.It also records how long those photons take to pass through the tissue, helping it identify exactly where the endoscope is located.

   When photons come into contact with bodily structures, light usually scatters or bounces off the tissue, but the camera's sensitivity enables it to pick up any tiny traces of light that make it through.

By reconciling light signals that come directly to the camera with scattered photons – which travel long distances and so take longer to reach it – the device is able to determine where the light-emitting endoscope is placed inside the body.

This technique, which differentiates between scattered and ballistic (direct) photons is called ballistic imaging, and it could help physicians to understand the exact location of the bodily interior they're looking at with the endoscope – which may be hugely valuable in terms of determining treatments.

                                                          University of Edinburgh

         In the image above, you can see an example of the light the camera detects from an optical endomicroscope in use in sheep lungs.

        The image on the left is what the prototype sees, with the ballistic imaging revealing the precise location of the instrument in the lungs.

        On the right, the shot reveals what the scene looks like to a conventional camera, with the sensor picking up lots of noise in terms of scattered light, but unable to determine where the photons are originating, as the light particles bounce around the lung structures.

        "This is an enabling technology that allows us to see through the human body," says senior researcher Kev Dhaliwal.

        "The ability to see a device's location is crucial for many applications in healthcare, as we move forwards with minimally invasive approaches to treating disease."

        Dhaliwal is the chief investigator of a collaborative, multi-institutional project called Proteus, which is researching a range of new imaging technologies to help visualise previously unseen biological secrets, with a focus on lung and respiratory diseases.

        In this case, the researchers say the improved vision provided by the camera will enable doctors to visualise both the tip and length of the endoscope they're using and the resolution of the imagery is expected to be refined in the future.

       There's no word yet on when we can expect to see this camera used in clinical treatments, but it's a promising development in imaging and diagnostic technologies.

       The findings are reported in Biomedical Optics Express.