The most powerful sound laser ever made

Scientists have significantly improved a new type of laser that uses sound waves instead of light. This “phonon laser” has potential uses in deep-sea exploration, medical imaging, and other areas. The researchers were able to greatly boost the power and precision of the sound waves by adding a small electronic nudge. This paves the way for future devices using sound for a wider range of tasks.

Laser sculpting to revolutionize micro-optics

Advances in information technology demand complex micro-optical elements with nanoscale precision. Femtosecond laser direct writing (FsLDW) rises to the challenge, using ultrashort pulses to create three-dimensional micro-nano structures. This versatile technique boasts diverse material compatibility and can fabricate imaging and non-imaging micro-optical elements, opening doors for next-generation stereoscopic systems.

New AI model draws treasure maps to diagnose disease

Researchers at the Beckman Institute developed an artificial intelligence model that can accurately identify tumors and diseases in medical images. The tool draws a map to explain each diagnosis, helping doctors follow its line of reasoning, check for accuracy, and explain the results to patients.

ACR, ACEP announce landmark recommendations for addressing actionable incidental findings

The American College of Radiology® and the American College of Emergency Physicians released new landmark recommendations to help health systems, physicians and other clinicians improve patient outcomes by addressing actionable incidental findings (AIFs) in emergency department imaging.

Synchrotron X-ray Diffraction Captures ‘Invisible’ Traumatic Brain Injuries

Rama Madhurapantula, of the Illinois Institute of Technology, will describe how synchrotron X-ray diffraction can aid in diagnosing invisible traumatic brain injuries in their presentation, “X-ray fiber diffraction to elucidate tissue transition and changes to molecular packing in relation damage,” held Sunday, July 31 at the annual ACA meeting. While traditional imaging methods work on the micron scale, Madhurapantula’s team showed synchrotron X-ray diffraction can capture much smaller changes to myelin on the nanometer to angstrom scale in situ.

American Association of Physicists in Medicine Issues Position on Medical Imaging Radiation Limits

When a medical imaging exam provides a clinical benefit, the only risk that should be considered is the exam itself rather than a patient’s previous radiation exposure, according to a statement from the American Association of Physicists in Medicine, the American College of Radiology and the Health Physics Society, citing potential adverse effects on patient care.

Penn State Health provides patients with most advanced imaging services through agreement with Siemens Healthineers

A new ten-year agreement between Penn State Health and Siemens Healthineers will mean enhanced diagnostic services, more precise and efficient imaging and an optimal experience for patients needing radiology, radiation oncology and cardiology services.

Do You Know the Way to Berkelium, Californium?

Scientists at Berkeley Lab have demonstrated how to image samples of heavy elements as small as a single nanogram. The new approach will help scientists advance new technologies for medical imaging and cancer therapies.

Scientists Recruit New Atomic Heavyweights in Targeted Fight Against Cancer

Researchers from Berkeley Lab and Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed new methods for the large-scale production, purification, and use of the radioisotope cerium-134, which could serve as a PET imaging radiotracer for a highly targeted cancer treatment known as alpha-particle therapy.

American College of Radiology Releases New and Updated ACR Appropriateness Criteria

The American College of Radiology® (ACR®) today released an update to its ACR Appropriateness Criteria® (ACR AC), which includes 198 diagnostic imaging and interventional radiology topics with 965 clinical variants covering more than 1,700 clinical scenarios. This update includes six new and 10 revised topics. All topics include a narrative, evidence table and a literature search summary. Patient-friendly summaries , which are intended to help patients understand what tests are appropriate for their situation and enhance communication from ordering physicians and radiologists, are available for a number of topics as well.

American College of Radiology to Provide Image Coordination for National COVID-19 Observational Study

The American College of Radiology® (ACR®) Center for Research and Innovation™ (CRI) will serve as the imaging coordination center for the multicenter COVID-19 Observational Study (CORAL) led by Dr. Catherine “Terri” L. Hough of the Oregon Health & Science University. The CORAL Study is part of the Prevention & Early Treatment of Acute Lung Injury (PETAL) Network, a consortium of academic and affiliated hospitals across the United States – funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health – to conduct clinical trials in patients with or at risk for critical illness, including acute respiratory distress syndrome.

American College of Radiology Selected as Imaging Partner for VIRUS COVID-19 Registry

The American College of Radiology® (ACR®) Center for Research and Innovation™ (CRI) was selected by the Society of Clinical Care Medicine (SCCM) to serve as the overall imaging repository for the Discovery Viral Infection and Respiratory Illness Universal Study (VIRUS) COVID-19 Registry. The study aims to create a real time registry of current ICU and hospital care patterns to allow evaluation of safety and observational effectiveness of COVID-19 practices.