Archive: 5 December 2021

New imaging technology may reduce need for skin biopsies

Dermatologists may take pictures of a suspicious-looking lesion and quickly produce a detailed, microscopic image of the skin instead of surgically removing a sample of the skin.

This could become routine in clinics, the result of a new “virtual histology” technology being developed by researchers at UCLA.

Images appear like biopsied, histochemically stained skin sections imaged on microscope slides.

Read more: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-11-imaging-technology-skin-biopsies.html

Two-photon microscope provides unprecedented brain-imaging ability

Two-photon fluorescence microscopy has significantly enhanced researchers’ ability to monitor brain activity with a microscope that provides a resolution high enough to see individual neurons and their neighbors.

The approach leverages the brief, orders-of-magnitude increase in calcium that a neuron experiences when firing. When the laser is pointed at the neuron, and the neuron is firing, calcium comes in, the protein finds the calcium and ultimately, fluoresces.

Read more: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/12/211202123008.htm

Medicare beneficiary growth outstripping radiologist supply

In some parts of the U.S., the number of Medicare beneficiaries is outpacing the number of available radiologists by more than 50%.

The significant increase in Medicare beneficiaries and relative stagnation of residency matches into diagnostic radiology could strain the supply and demand balance in the delivery of imaging services.

 There is a high variance in the supply and demand mismatch. This could raise potential concern for decreased access in areas with too few radiologists and inefficient resource allocation in regions with too many radiologists.

Read more: https://www.auntminnie.com/index.aspx?sec=ser&sub=def&pag=dis&ItemID=134405

Hospital sees success deploying radiology trainees as at-home ‘teleresidents’

Deploying senior radiology trainees as at-home “teleresidents” is a feasible solution to maintain productivity and social distancing amid the pandemic, according to a new research.

Read more: https://www.radiologybusiness.com/topics/leadership-workforce/radiology-trainees-residents-home-teleresidents

Eye imaging technology breaks through skin by crossing beams

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have demonstrated a method for increasing the depth at which optical coherence tomography (OCT) can image structures beneath skin.

The gold standard for imaging and diagnosing diseases within the retina, OCT has yet to find widespread use as an imaging technique for other parts of the body due to its inability to return clear images from more than a millimeter beneath the skin’s surface.

Read more: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/12/211201162033.htm