From AZonano News:
A team of Trinity College Dublin Chemists partnered with Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) to formulate a breakthrough new scanning method to generate very high-resolution 3D images of bones without patients being exposed to X-ray radiation.
The chemists fasten luminescent compounds to miniature gold structures to form biologically safe ‘nanoagents’. These nanoagents are attracted to calcium-rich surfaces, which materialize when bones crack – even at a micro level.
These nanoagents target and emphasize the cracks formed in bones, allowing the team to produce a comprehensive 3D image of the damaged areas.
As this method can be used to diagnose bone strength and provide a thorough blueprint of the degree and precise positioning of any injury or weakness, it will have key implications for the health sector.
Image Credit: Dim Dimich/Shutterstock.com
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