• Science

    Surgery By Numbers

    By Jason Daley Posted on 9.4.2008 2 Comments

    The problem with cancer surgery, or so we hear, is that it's difficult for surgeons to know if they've removed all of a tumor, especially in late-stage cancers when the edges get indistinct. But a new imaging technology developed at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center's Center for Imaging Technology and Molecular Diagnostics in Boston is giving cutters visual cues on just where to aim their scalpels.

    9.23.2008 at 01:08pm - Comment by pat.holder

    @Dustin2127 actually, they need to use Near-IR light because visible light doesn't penetrate human tissue. This is easy to see if you put a flashlight behind your hand - the red light comes through by the other light is blocked. The difficulty is making the Near-IR probes go where you want them to, targeting specific tissue types. (Disclosure: I'm doing research on these kinds of probes).



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