CERN scientists develop the world’s first 3D colour X-rays
‘The technology was initially developed to address the needs of particle tracking at the Large Hadron Collider’
THE first 3D colour X-rays have been revealed by scientists.
The images are created by a hi-tech medical scanner that uses an adaptation of technology first used in the hunt for the God particle.
The Medipix3 technology was developed by the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN). Professors Phil and Anthony Butler, a father and son from New Zealand, created the Mars large bore spectral scanner, having worked on it for 10 years.
They said they were currently developing a human-scale machine, capable of creating accurate 3D models, allowing doctors to explore the inside of a patient’s body without picking up a scalpel.
The Butlers’ company, Mars Bioimaging, yesterday released the first images taken of the inside of a human body, scanned in colour. It is hoped that one day, such devices will be used in hospitals.
Cristina Agrigoroae, of CERN, said: “Hybrid pixel-detector technology was initially developed to address the needs of particle tracking at the Large Hadron Collider, and successive generations of Medipix chips have demonstrated over 20 years the great potential of the technology outside of high-energy physics.
“The concept of Medipix is that it works like a camera, detecting and counting each individual particle hitting the pixels when its electronic shutter is open. This enables high-resolution, high-contrast, very reliable images, making it unique for imaging applications in particular in the medical field.”