A century ago, X-rays were introduced and provided noninvasive ways to view structures in the body, such as bones. X-rays cannot view the soft tissues within the body except with contrast-enhancing agents that are injected or swallowed, even still image resolution is limited. Current x-rays systems are very hard to create and use large amounts of energy. Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have a new approach which could dramatically change what we know. The idea is to find new ways of creating sources of light at a microscopic level or reducing the cost of systems already in place. The new research could have the most detailed images ever, seeing soft tissue without contrast …show more content…
Similar to a laser, a tightly grouped and uniform wavelength produced by the radiation. This would result in lower doses of radiation which is more safe. Electronic devices and microchips are developed from micro-fabrication and the M.I.T. and M.G.H. team will use this idea to develop its smaller hardware. This system could make the types of light that very expensive particle accelerators do but on a much smaller scale. According to Chandler, “MIT researchers have produced a nanostructured surface with an array of tiny tips, each of which can emit a beam of electrons. These, in turn, pass through a microstructured plate that emits a beam of X-rays.” (Chandler) Results such as, details of blood vessels showing the presences of cancerous tumors, and all the ligaments ,muscle attachments and details of the bone structures of the knee, have been produced by particle accelerators, but those are very expensive. “ ‘You can’t have a linear accelerator in every hospital,’ Velásquez-García says.” (Chandler) It takes more time by adding the extra contrasting agents which also pose a risk, the new research eliminates that risk. It is also electronic, which takes much less time to turn on and off lowering the amount of time a patient is exposed to radiation. Since the system will be much smaller is could be used out side the medical field