Researchers Create Advanced Lung Scan Revealing Functional Insights
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New Delhi, Dec 25 (NationPress) A group of researchers has pioneered a groundbreaking method for lung scanning that can display the effects of treatment on lung function in real time, thus enabling observation of transplanted lung performance.
This scanning approach, led by a team at Newcastle University in the UK, provides insights into how air circulates within the lungs as individuals inhale, particularly in patients suffering from asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and those who have undergone lung transplants.
“We anticipate that this innovative scanning technique may enable us to detect alterations in transplanted lungs sooner, even before conventional tests indicate damage. This advancement would facilitate earlier treatment initiation and help safeguard the transplanted lungs from further harm,” stated Professor Andrew Fisher, a specialist in Respiratory Transplant Medicine at Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Newcastle University, UK.
In a study published in Radiology and JHLT Open, the team elaborated on their use of a unique gas known as perfluoropropane, which can be visualized via MRI scanning.
This gas is safe for patients to inhale and exhale, allowing scans to determine its distribution within the lungs.
“Our scans pinpoint areas of uneven ventilation in lung disease patients and indicate which lung regions respond positively to treatment,” explained project leader Professor Pete Thelwall from Newcastle University.
The innovative scanning technique facilitates quantification of ventilation improvement levels when patients receive treatment, specifically a widely utilized inhaler, the bronchodilator salbutamol. This suggests that these imaging methods could prove invaluable in clinical trials for novel lung disease treatments.
According to researchers, there is significant potential for this scanning method to be integrated into the clinical management of lung transplant recipients and other pulmonary disorders in the future.
