New X-Ray Tech Offers Gamechanging Image Clarity

A new x-ray technology developed at MIT can image soft tissue with unprecedented clarity--and without the need for the contrast agents needed in traditional x-ray systems.
 

The researchers, collaborating with the Massachusetts General Hospital, developed the system, which is smaller, less expensive, and needs a smaller radiation dose than current-gen x-ray technology, according to a recent MIT news release.

To test the new x-ray system, researchers used an eye from a human cadaver. With the system, researchers were able to see the eye's cornea, the lens, and all other structures. In the future, researchers believe that a lower-cost device could offer the same capabilities.

The imaging system uses x-rays that are generated through the use of a linear particle accelerator. Coherent x-ray beams are produced through a series of micron-sized sources, unlike conventional x-ray systems in which x-ray beams originate from a single-point source.

The prototype device features a nanostructured surface covered with tiny tips. Each of these tips emits electrons that then pass through a microstructured plate, generating x-ray beams.

With the first cathode prototype, researchers were able to capture absorption spectra of soft-tissue samples that revealed high-resolution organic structures.

As of now, achieving a coherent x-ray beam through a customized cathode chip does have limitations. A coherent x-ray beam could only be achieved through the use of a linear particle accelerator, note researchers. That said, the diagnostic capabilities of this type of x-ray system could be a game-changer in the future. Future systems that utilize this type of technology could offer high-resolution soft tissue imaging at more reasonable costs.