X-ray
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LEXID prototype gun can peek through walls
Believe it or not, devices used to see through walls are far from revolutionary, but hey, we'll take every one we can get. Reportedly, Physical Optics Corporation has concocted a prototype gun that utilizes the same method of viewing that a lobster does to see what's ahead in murky waters. The LEXID (Lobster Eye X-ray Imaging Device) functions by "radiating objects with tiny amounts of X-ray energy," subsequently allowing its user to see behind steel, wood or concrete. According to David Throckmorton, a project manager in Homeland Security's Science and Technology division, the resulting images aren't exactly drool-worthy, but they do allow you to make out a stash of weapons or a crouching enemy. Unfortunately, completion is too far out to estimate a price, but its creators are hoping to one day make it cheap enough for exterminators and contractors to purchase and use. 'Course, we could imagine middle schoolers getting into all sorts of trouble if one of these floated into the locker room.[Via The Raw Feed, image courtesy of POC]
Toshiba one-ups Philips with AquilionONE CT scanner
Philips' Brilliance iCT sure had a nice run, but no sooner than it hit the spotlight, Toshiba has arrived fashionably late to steal a little thunder. The outfit's $2.5 million AquilionONE outdoes Philips' iteration by doing 320-slices instead of "just" 256, enabling doctors to see the entire heart while making patients hold their breath for merely "a second or two." Put simply, the machine should allow for heart disease to be spotted in its earliest stages without putting individuals through a lengthy tribulation, and the ultra high resolution 3D images it produces will allow medical personnel to quickly determine if there are any problems that need to be dealt with. Currently, the system is being tested at Toronto General's Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, but word on the street has the unit being readily available next summer.[Via Diagnostic Imaging, thanks lmwong]
Samsung brags about new digital X-ray detector
Being the 800-pound gorilla that it is in the TFT-LCD biz, we're not too shocked to hear that Samsung is quite pleased with its newfangled flat-panel digital X-ray detector. Reportedly, the creation is the "world's first" (ahem) to use thin-film transistor technology, which translates into sharper images and cost savings for the end user. Sammy claims that its new FPXD setup can produce "ultra-high definition images" to the tune of 3,072 x 3,072 pixels, and executive vice president Yun Jin-Hyuk even insinuated that this development would "help the X-ray detector market become completely digitized within a few years." Of course, we're sure that folks in this segment will indeed be thrilled to hear that "no film or development process is needed" in the new system, and better still, it should be ready to rock in Q1 of next year.[Via Yahoo / AFP]
Philips super high-res CT scanner shows you from the inside
Philips unveiled a new ultra-high-res 256-slice CT scanner called the Brilliance iCT at the Radiological Society of North America yesterday, a unit the company says not only produces higher quality 3D images using less radiation than previous scanners, but does it far more quickly -- a full body scan takes only a minute. The speedup is achieved because the rotating X-ray element spins some 22 percent faster than other models, hitting four revolutions a second at top speed. Getting in and out of the machine that much faster also cuts radiation exposure some 80 percent from a traditional X-ray machine, and Philips says the machine is accurate enough to capture a complete image of the heart in less than two beats. Metro Health in Cleveland is the first off the line with the new gear -- check the read link for a video of it in action.
Powerful "light scope" used to unearth ancient texts
According to the BBC, scientists at the University of Cardiff have developed a method of reading ancient, highly-sensitive texts (such as the Dead Sea Scrolls) by projecting beams of light ten-billion times brighter than the sun into the parchment. The new technique combines a powerful X-ray-like device called the Diamond Synchrotron (no, seriously), and a computer algorithm that pieces together layers of text to create a three dimensional, readable images of an iron-inked document. Professor Tim Wess, lead researcher on the projects says, "We've folded up a real piece of parchment and then done a process of X-ray tomography on it. We've been able to recover the structure where we can see the words that are written inside the document." The scientists now plan on using the process to explore ancient texts which have been heretofore unreadable due to fear of damage, including 18th century fire-damaged scrolls, and the previously mentioned Dead Sea Scrolls.
CSSEdit 2.5 brings tabs, X-ray Inspector and more
MacRabbit has released CSSEdit 2.5, a significant update to their fantastic CSS editing and manipulating application. As if CSSEdit 2.0 didn't bring enough cool features, v2.5 is almost like sneaking a peek at your v3.0 birthday presents that are stashed away in your parent's closet the day before your party. There is a list of what's new on the MacRabbit's blog.Quite the update, but a free one for registered owners of v2.x. Users of 1.x can upgrade for $14.95 instead of CSSEdit's regular price of $29.95, and of course a demo is available from MacRabbit.[via Nik Fletcher's Twitter]
Phoenix's Sky Harbor airport puts omniscient X-ray to use
We don't envision very many people enjoying the idea of having TSA employees seeing every curve their body has to offer, but unfortunately for those who fail the primary metal detector test at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, you could be in for such a treat. While airport shoe scanners have already garnered sufficient criticism for holding up the show rather than helping things out, the "backscatter" X-ray machine is officially being trialed in Arizona as a means of snuffing out hidden "explosives and other weapons" that can't be detected by other means. While the technology allows the viewer to see just about every follicle on your body (and any stray .500 Magnums adorning your person), there is still currently a workaround if you're not entirely comfortable with going full-frontal before boarding your flight. A TSA spokesperson proclaimed that the process is completely voluntary, as folks who get dinged by the metal detector can opt for a standard pat-down in order to clear things up. Interestingly, the officials operating the machine have reportedly "adjusted the equipment to make the image look something like a line drawing" rather than detailing all your 2,000 parts, but critics suggest that altering the image also hampers the chance of discovering contraband in the first place. Still, unless this causes some serious uproar in the near future, it looks like it's there to stay, and folks traveling through LAX and New York's Kennedy Airport will likely face a similar beast (if they so choose) before the year's end.
Colorado researchers edging closer to tabletop X-rays
Although improvements on the typical X-ray are being made quite frequently of late, a team of researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder is hoping to make a huge leap forward in the way we're forced to handle these traditionally burdensome machines. In an effort to reduce the size required to install and utilize your average X-ray machine, the crew has purportedly developed a new technique to "generate laser-like X-ray beams" that avoid the existing need for such a "monstrous power source." The end goal is, of course, a tabletop device that can handle uber-high resolution imaging at a fraction of the cost and size of current units. It all starts by using "a powerful laser to pluck an electron from an atom of argon and then slam it back into the same atom," which then bypasses the typical problem of X-ray waves "not marching in step" by sending "weak pulses of visible laser light into the gas in the opposite direction of the laser beam generating the X-rays." The feeble beam reportedly "manipulates the electrons plucked from the argon atoms" in order to perfectly intensify the strength of the process by "over a hundred times." Essentially, the researchers have devised a more controlled way to perfect the timing of X-ray blasts, and are utilizing light to focus the process rather than using gobs of energy as it hopes enough undirected beams strike the intended area. Per usual, we've no idea just how close this idea is to becoming ready for the commercial world, but considering all the competition that's currently out there, we don't envision these Buffs wasting any precious time.
Mini-Z T-ray imaging device takes home the gold
We're all about giving golf claps where they're due, and a healthy round is certainly in order for Mr. Brian Schulkin. The doctoral student in physics developed a breakthrough terahertz imaging device, dubbed a T-ray, that has already demonstrated its ability to "detect cracks in space shuttle foam, image tumors in breast tissue, and spot counterfeit watermarks on paper currency." The Mini-Z marks the first time such a powerful device has become portable in nature, weighing just five pounds and taking up about as much space as your average laptop. Taking home the first Lemelson-Rensselaer Student Prize ($30,000), Schulkin explained that this device didn't pose the same health risks as typical X-rays, and unlike ultrasound, terahertz waves can provide images and spectroscopic information without contacting an object. As expected, the patent-pending technology is already up for licensing, and has already received quite a bit of fanfare and commercial interest from larger companies. So while you may never personally encounter Brian's earth-shattering invention, we're fairly sure this young lad's working days are already drawing nigh if he so chooses.[Via Physorg]
SET CounterBomber spies hazardous humans from a distance
Here's one that's just begging for a profiling fit to be thrown over it. While the CounterBomber won't deem you guilty for creeping through a deserted street or texting your boy while waiting at a stop light, it just might inform everyone in an airport that you're the next suicide bomber waiting to blow. SET Corporation is unveiling a machine that best sport an accuracy level untouchable by mere human instincts, as it plans to sit at major public venues and sporting events to spot potential bomb-toting humans "from up to 50 yards away." The first iteration of the machine will utilize "radar-imaging technology" to somehow "analyze and reveal" concealed objects without actually peeking through folks' clothing, but future versions are slated to incorporate a "gait analysis" bit that could further substantiate if some awkward weight balance is going on underneath the hoodie. Still, we can just imagine the uproar from an innocent young lad with a stiff knee getting carted off due to this gizmo (incorrectly) deeming him suspicious, but considering the CounterBomber could be making its debut within 6 months or so, we'll be sure to find out just how inaccurate it is real soon.[Via CNET]
Phoenix airport set to test all-seeing x-ray
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport looks to have the distinct honor of being the first airport in the United States to put the controversial "backscatter" x-ray technology to use, the very same excessively-intimate inspection technique that made its debut at London's Heathrow airport a couple of years back. The airport won't just be taking a peek at everyone that passes through the gate, however, instead using the scanner as a backup to existing screening measures -- and, even then, individuals will have the option of a pat-down search instead of the picture postcard seen here. What's more, unlike earlier implementations of the technology, the Transportation Security Administration has reportedly sanitized the end results somewhat, with certain areas being discreetly blurred out, and no images saved after the person steps away from the machine. While the Phoenix airport gets to be first it, not suprisingly, won't be the last, with the TSA saying that a "handful" of other airports will be installing some scanners of their own sometime early next year.[Thanks, Ben B.]
Plasma Focus researchers develop non-radioactive X-ray for metals
Cesar Moreno, who heads the "Plasma Focus" physics research group at the University of Buenos Aires, has co-developed a "non-conventional setup" for taking X-rays of metallic objects sans the need for nuclear hardware. Based on "plasma focus hard X-ray" technology, this newfangled approach differs from more traditional routes -- which require irradiating the items to be scanned with radioactive element -- by demanding only electricity and a rather large workspace. After seven years of toil (and potential exposure to incredible amounts of gene-altering radiation), he was finally able to display photos of a "camera, door lock, and a bolt fixated to a metal bar" as proof of a working machine. The device can reportedly take photographs that pass through any type of metal up to 25-millimeters thick (including moving objects) without a single "trace of radiation or heat generated during the process." Although Moreno has a lot of red tape to clear before we see his invention in radiography labs, the $10,000 prize he captured for his work should certainly provide adequate motivation to get things moving.[Via The Inquirer]
