New Zealand scientists have claimed a world first in developing a 3D scanner that could revolutionize treatment of diseases by showing a detailed view of the inside of the body. The University of Canterbury’s MARS-Bioimaging scanner was capable of examining molecular structures and tissues, as well as diagnosing common illnesses such as the build-up of plaque in heart disease, and cartilage and arthritis. The University of Canterbury’s MARS-Bioimaging scanner also enabled drug delivery systems that allowed researchers to follow drugs in the body to help fight cancer and joint diseases.
Researchers expected to be safely scanning large animals such as sheep in about three years and to undertake human clinical trials in five years. The preclinical imaging market involving scanners used in medical research was worth about 200 million U.S. dollars a year and growing 16 percent annually.
