Researchers beamed light through a man's head for the first time
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, BGR may receive an affiliate commission.
Researchers have discovered a new way to image the brain, and it has also led to a first for scientists. According to a new paper published this year, researchers at the University of Glasgow were able to beam light through a person's head for the first time. The process is extremely promising as a non-invasive brain imaging technique.
Currently, if you want to peer deep into someone's brain, you need a massive, bulky MRI machine like those found in many large hospitals. While this is fine for most cases, it doesn't leave much room for portability. However, that could soon change.
Today's Top Deals
Best deals: Tech, laptops, TVs, and more sales
Best Ring Video Doorbell deals
Memorial Day security camera deals: Reolink's unbeatable sale has prices from $29.98
According to new research published in the journal Neurophotonics this month, scientists have found a way to beam light all the way through the human head. It's an intriguing development, especially since it allows for the near infrared laser to pass through all of the brain tissue, bone, and neurons. While promising for a non-invasive brain imaging process, it's still a long way from being viable.
That's because despite being tested on eight different individuals, the process only worked on one person: a man with no hair and fair skin. This shows that while it's possible to send near infrared lasers through the body safely, there are some other issues that will need to be addressed to make it truly viable as an option for medical professionals.
Still, this process is very promising, especially since the researchers found that the light didn't randomly scatter through the brain. Instead, it actually followed preferred paths, which should allow for more accurate viewing depending on the position of the person's head and the light source. The obvious benefit here is that near infrared systems can be a lot more portable than typical MRI units.
So, if they are able to expand on this non-invasive brain imaging system, they could end up with a solid way to image the brain even when a bulky MRI system isn't available. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait a while before that's possible. But combined with other advances in medicine, this new process could be key to finding signs of brain diseases and other brain-related symptoms that can be tough to spot without a full MRI.
More Top Deals
Amazon gift card deals, offers & coupons 2025: Get $2,000+ free
See the
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
On track for 'strongest Norfolk Show since Covid'
The organisers of the Royal Norfolk Show said they were on target for the "strongest year since Covid". The Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association (RNAA) said advanced ticket sales suggested it was on track to welcome 78,000 to 80,000 people over the two days. It added that there would be 700 trade stands to visit and "very good show weather" with moderate temperatures and no rain forecasted. Mark Nicholas, managing director of the RNAA, said: "There's masses of entertainment, but at the heart of it is food, farming and countryside." He added: "We are set for a busy and interesting Royal Norfolk Show and I genuinely mean that. "We are not expecting any members of the Royal Family to attend this year, but we welcome any opportunity, and we will be happy to be surprised. "Of course, King Charles is our patron and we always appreciate the support from the Royal Household each year, whether they attend or not." The Grand Parade Ring will host displays of the county's best cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and horses. It will also feature show-jumping, heavy horses, horse-drawn coach driving, a Shetland Pony Derby, as well as a rally of agricultural steam engines. Representing Norfolk's links to the Armed Forces, the Duke of York's Royal Military School Marching Band will parade, and the RAF Falcons parachute team will put on a display, landing in the ring. Agricultural machinery will be on display, and an array of foods and drinks made in Norfolk will be available to enjoy. The show also featured an education section where young people could learn about science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM). Dr Samantha Fox, co-founder and director of the Youth STEMM Award, said: "The STEMM Village offers a unique blend of education and entertainment, making it a must-visit for anyone interested in the future of science, technology and healthcare. "With topics ranging from clean energy to the science of ageing, there's something to spark curiosity in everyone. "EastWind will bring together a great showcase of the offshore wind industry. I'm particularly excited about the virtual reality simulations, which will allow visitors to step into the shoes of a wind turbine engineer and see what it is like to be at the top of a wind turbine!" Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. How can I get to this year's Royal Norfolk Show? Duke of Edinburgh announced as show's royal guest
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mum-of-five 'begged for help' before hospital death
A care worker "begged and pleaded" for help before dying shortly after childbirth, her mother said. Laura-Jane Seaman, 36, told staff she could feel bleeding after delivering her fifth child at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, Essex, in December 2022. Her mum, Sarah Shead, supports a national inquiry, and said of her daughter: "She told them she was dying and no-one took her seriously until it was too late and the damage was done." Broomfield's, chief executive, Matthew Hopkins said care was an "absolute priority" after Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced a national inquiry into maternity services. The final list of trusts involved was not revealed in Monday's announcement. However, the BBC was told bosses at the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust (MSE) would meet with government officials as part of the investigation. A coroner in Auguest 2024 ruled multiple failures by staff amounted to "neglect" and led to Ms Seaman's death two days after giving birth at the MSE-run hospital. The mother-of-five, from Witham, Essex had repeatedly warned of feeling dizzy and numb, alongside an internal "gushing". "She begged for her life, she begged me for her life and I thought they were doing everything they could do," Ms Shead told the BBC. "I will forever live with the fact that I didn't shout and scream and say 'What are you doing?', because they appeared to be doing everything. "But what we were seeing was not what was actually happening." Ms Seaman had been known to MSE officials to be at high risk of heavy bleeding post-birth. She was able to breastfeed her newborn before her condition deteriorated, later suffering a significant peritoneal haemorrhage that proved fatal. "I'm the mother that lost a daughter who was fit, well and had a 99.9% of surviving had they realised her spleen had ruptured earlier," Ms Shead added. She said the national inquiry, due to begin this summer and report back by December, was overdue. "I think this is the only way for the health service to learn where it needs to improve," Ms Shead explained. "There are too many deaths, too many losses. My hope is this happens quickly." Maternity care at Broomfield Hospital was rated "inadequate" by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in January. Mr Hopkins said he was overseeing an action plan to improve the safety of its care. "The care and safety of families using our maternity and neonatal services is an absolute priority," he continued. "We will support any work to tackle health inequalities and improve maternity services for families across the country." Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. National inquiry announced after maternity failings Mum dies after hospital's 'basic failures' - report Mother died after neglect by hospital - coroner Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Washington Post
32 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Hackathon teams race to solve defense tech challenges as Europe boosts military capabilities
SANDHURST, England — Hunched over laptops, the team of four raced to solve a challenge: how to get a set of drones to fly themselves from one place to another when GPS and other signals are jammed by an enemy. Elsewhere around the hall, groups of people — engineering students, tech workers and hobbyists — gathered around long tables to brainstorm, write computer code or tinker with more drones and other hardware.
