
This new technology could allow people to use the camera on their smartphone to diagnose diseases.
Image: TMOS
Research published today in ACS Photonics from researchers at the University of Melbourne and the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems (TMOS), is helping miniaturise phase-imaging technology using metasurfaces, which are only a few hundred nanometres thick – about 350 times thinner than the thickness of a human hair – thus small enough to fit in the lens of a smartphone or other small camera.
The detection of diseases often relies on optical microscope technology to investigate changes in biological cells. Currently, these investigation methods usually involve staining the cells with chemicals in a laboratory environment as well as using specialised ‘phase-imaging’ microscopes. These aim to make invisible aspects of a biological cell visible, so early-stage detection of disease becomes possible. However, phase-imaging microscopes are bulky and cost thousands of dollars, putting them out of reach of remote medical practices.
In addition to providing resources for remote medical practices, this new technology could one day lead to at-home disease detection, where the patient could obtain their own specimen through saliva or a pinprick of blood, and then transmit an image to a laboratory anywhere in the world. The lab could then analyse and diagnose the illness.
Lead researcher, University of Melbourne Dr Lukas Wesemann said similar to expensive phase-imaging microscopes, these metasurfaces can manipulate the light passing through them to make otherwise invisible aspects of objects like live biological cells visible.
“We manufactured our metasurface with an array of tiny rods – nanorods – on a flat surface, arranged in such a way as to turn an invisible property of light, called its ‘phase’, into a normal image visible to the human eye, or conventional cameras,” Dr Wesemann said.
“These phase-imaging metasurfaces create high contrast, pseudo-3D images without the need for computer post-processing.
“Making medical diagnostic devices smaller, cheaper and more portable will help disadvantaged regions gain access to healthcare that is currently only available to first world countries.”
Co-author, TMOS Chief Investigator and University of Melbourne Professor Ann Roberts, said it was an exciting breakthrough in the field of phase-imaging.
“It’s just the tip of the iceberg in terms of how metasurfaces will completely reimagine conventional optics and lead to a new generation of miniaturised devices.”
Original Article: New nanotech imaging tool may allow smartphone disease diagnosis
More from: University of Melbourne
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Smartphone disease diagnosis
- Teens who use phones for over 4 hours daily face higher health risks: study
Researchers from Hanyang University Medical Center in South Korea found that teenagers who use smartphones for more than four hours a day exhibit higher rates of adverse mental health and substance ...
- Symptoms of MS may appear years before diagnosis
Patients in the earliest stages of multiple sclerosis might develop certain symptoms that offer an early clue to the degenerative nerve disease, researchers report.
- Eye-safe laser device provides rapid, on-site diagnosis of concussion
The eyes are more than windows to the soul; they are also windows to detecting traumatic brain injury, thanks to researchers at the University of Birmingham who have developed a non-invasive, handheld ...
- Smartphone location data used to evaluate risk of diet-related disease
A team set out to see if smartphone mobility data could be used to quantify people's food access at scale across different populations and their corresponding neighborhoods. From there, they hoped to ...
- Workplace Eye Wellness: Dry Eye Disease Can Impact Productivity At Work, Know Coping Tips From Expert
Dry eye disease a growing concern at workplace. Doctor lists out potential reasons and coping tips to prevent dry eyes.
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Smartphone disease diagnosis
[google_news title=”” keyword=”smartphone disease diagnosis” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Phase-imaging metasurfaces
- Imaging of Liver Disease: Comparison Between Quadruple-phase Multidetector Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Background and Aim:To compare quadruple-phase multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the assessment of focal and diffuse liver disease. Conclusions ...
- Assessment of Left-to-Right Intracardiac Shunting by Velocity-Encoded, Phase-Difference Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Background Velocity-encoded, phase-difference magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been shown to provide an accurate assessment of shunt magnitude in patients with large atrial septal defects, but its ...
- Investigation and Management of Hepatic Incidentalomas
When they are less than 2 cm in diameter they can appear as homogenous flash filling lesions on arterial phase CT. They remain hyperintense on delayed imaging. When they are larger than 2 cm they ...
- Metasurfaces for Multi-Dimensional Electromagnetic Wave Manipulation
As an ultrathin flat platform for versatile electromagnetic wave manipulation in both near-field and far-field, metasurfaces consist of arrays of subwavelength inclusions made of plasmonic, dielectric ...
- Quantum imaging using entangled photon pairs from nonlinear metasurfaces
We present a combined quantum ghost and scanning imaging protocol allowing 2D imaging with 1D detector array, enabled by strong spatial correlations and tunable emission angle of entangled photon ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Phase-imaging metasurfaces
[google_news title=”” keyword=”phase-imaging metasurfaces” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]