We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
GLOBETECH PUBLISHING LLC

Download Mobile App




Infrared Super-Continuum Laser Monitors Brain Health

By MedImaging International staff writers
Posted on 10 Feb 2020
Image: The concussion detecting laser in human trials (Photo courtesy of Joseph Xu/ U-M)
Image: The concussion detecting laser in human trials (Photo courtesy of Joseph Xu/ U-M)
A new study describes how a portable super-continuum device uses infrared (IR) light to monitor cytochrome C oxidase (CCO) metabolism as an indicator of brain cell distress.

Developed at the University of Michigan (U-M; Ann Arbor, USA), the new device does not monitor whether the brain is getting oxygen, but rather if the brain cells are able to use that oxygen. Research shows that CCO is excited by laser light transmitted at wavelengths of 750 to 900 nanometers (the resonant frequency). By recording levels of CCO, brain metabolism can be quantified non-invasively in-situ, for example in the emergency room (ER) or intensive care unit (ICU). The study was presented at the annual Photonics West conference, held during February 2020 in San Francisco (CA, USA).

“Concussions in athletics have been in the spotlight for the previous decade, but soldiers are also at high risk. At present, there is no one test that can diagnose a concussion. There’s no scan, no blood test, no computer test. We currently rely on a clinical exam and interpretation by the medical provider, so the diagnosis is subjective,” said Professor Steven Broglio, MD, director of the Michigan Concussion Center. “We believe this technology is the first step in changing that by measuring brain metabolism, potentially resulting in faster and more certain diagnoses.”

“This device could guide the treatment of more serious brain injuries and other conditions that put the brain at risk. In its broadest application, it could help patients whose blood pressure falls so much that there isn’t enough blood flow to keep cells functioning normally,” said trauma and emergency surgeon Rachel Russo, MD. “This would be the first device that could measure how well their brain cells are doing right in the hospital room.”

CCO is the membrane-bound enzyme that is found in essentially all organisms that utilize oxygen. It serves as the terminal constituent of the electron transport chain in the inner mitochondrial membrane, where it reduces molecular oxygen to form water, allowing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production. The activity of CCO can be used to determine the number of active mitochondria or increase in electron transport activity in the mitochondria (energy expense or respiration rate).

Related Links:
University of Michigan

Computed Tomography System
Aquilion ONE / INSIGHT Edition
Ultrasound Table
Women’s Ultrasound EA Table
New
Ultrasound Needle Guidance System
SonoSite L25
Radiology Software
DxWorks

Channels

Ultrasound

view channel
Image: The new implantable device for chronic pain management is small and flexible (Photo courtesy of The Zhou Lab at USC)

Wireless Chronic Pain Management Device to Reduce Need for Painkillers and Surgery

Chronic pain affects millions of people globally, often leading to long-term disability and dependence on opioid medications, which carry significant risks of side effects and addiction.... Read more

Nuclear Medicine

view channel
Image: The diagnostic tool could improve diagnosis and treatment decisions for patients with chronic lung infections (Photo courtesy of SNMMI)

Novel Bacteria-Specific PET Imaging Approach Detects Hard-To-Diagnose Lung Infections

Mycobacteroides abscessus is a rapidly growing mycobacteria that primarily affects immunocompromised patients and those with underlying lung diseases, such as cystic fibrosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary... Read more

Imaging IT

view channel
Image: The new Medical Imaging Suite makes healthcare imaging data more accessible, interoperable and useful (Photo courtesy of Google Cloud)

New Google Cloud Medical Imaging Suite Makes Imaging Healthcare Data More Accessible

Medical imaging is a critical tool used to diagnose patients, and there are billions of medical images scanned globally each year. Imaging data accounts for about 90% of all healthcare data1 and, until... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.