In the practice of Medicine, X-ray imaging plays a major role in the diagnosis of a patient. Mostly used in emergency situations, it is also widely utilized during medical operation procedures, treating irregularities of organs such as the heart, liver, brain, and others. It is an ideal option for the doctors in having a seeming first hand vision of the internal organs of the patient needing immediate treatment.
However, one of the apparent impediments of X-ray machines in the medical profession has been the time frame needed for the film to be developed. Usually, after the patient has been moved to the X-ray room for the said procedures, Radiologic Technologists would need ample time, depending on the thickness of the part oft eh patient being X-rayed, in developing the image in the hospital’s dark room. This had been the man reason why in every hospital, X-ray rooms are located on the ground floor, usually near where the emergency rooms are located; to ensure the least amount of time wasted in the patients transfer to and from the emergency rooms.
The article released by Science Daily, dated June 17, 2009, regarding the near completion of an X-ray machine with real-time, 3-D imaging capabilities would unquestioningly be a great help for doctors in treating patients of various illnesses, be it in emergency situations, such as vehicular accidents, or in treating internal irregularities of the major organs of the patient. This research, as was stated in Science Daily, done by scientists from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and two Russian science institutes, Voronezh State University and Russian Academy of Sciences, “focused on the heavier gaseous atoms instead of the usual low-electron atoms like hydrogen and helium…resulting in the unleashing of much stronger, high-energy X-rays with high intensity (Science Daily, 1).
The researchers are not only excited in the medical aspect of the success of their research, but in other fields as well, such as in nanotechnology. They are envisioning a near future where scientists can view in real-time 3-D, through the use of this technology, the microscopic structures under study, such as the DNA (Science Daily, 1). The impeding invention on this field would provide scientists in real-time, with images of the bacteria or viruses being studied in laboratories, in cases where immediate cures are needed to be discovered for the benefit of the populace, such as the N1H1 virus
One could only imagine the benefits this would provide if plans to manufacture a portable model of this X-ray device would become a reality. Virtually any medical practitioner, such as the first aid workers of an ambulance team, would have the capability to accurately perform X-rays, and perhaps link the image in real-time to the hospitals, where a certified doctor can diagnose the patient, even before the ambulance arrives, thus making the process faster, more efficient, and perhaps life-saving.
Conclusion
The invention of a 3-D real-time X-ray imaging brings forth benefits to the medical and scientific world never before experienced since the invention of X-ray itself. Its benefits and applications are virtually limitless, and its conclusion will be, in every aspect, attuned for the benefit and advancement of mankind’s development, safety, and health.
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