Optics, Electronics Combine for Non-Invasive, Accurate Arthritis Assessment

Optics, Electronics Combine for Non-Invasive, Accurate Arthritis Assessment

A recent effort expands on this use of multiple wavelengths of light to determine if a patient has rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks the lining of joints, causing painful inflammation and swelling (Fig. 1). In theory, this could replace the cu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Machine Design 2019-10
Main Author: Schweber, Bill
Format: Article
Language:eng
Subjects:
Arthritis
Autoimmune diseases
Blood
Deoxygenation
Fourier transforms
Hypoxia
Image transmission
Immune system
Inflammation
Infrared imaging
Optics
Patients
Photonics
Physical examinations
Rheumatoid arthritis
Scientific papers
Surgical implants
Ultrasonic imaging
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Summary:A recent effort expands on this use of multiple wavelengths of light to determine if a patient has rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks the lining of joints, causing painful inflammation and swelling (Fig. 1). In theory, this could replace the current diagnosis approach that relies on a complicated combination of physical examinations by a rheumatologist, blood tests, and scanning by x-ray or ultrasound—all of which is time-consuming, subjective, and requires highly trained staff. Since oxygenated and deoxygenated blood absorb light differently, it’s possible to use the infrared imaging to calculate warning signs of RA, such as lowered levels of blood oxygen (hypoxia) and increased levels of blood content in the joint—indications of inflammation. (Source: University of Birmingham – UK) The full research paper “Detecting inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis using Fourier transform analysis of dorsal optical transmission images from a pilot study” was published in the Journal of Biomedical Optics, a publication of SPIE (the international society for optics and photonics).
ISSN:0024-9114
1944-9577